Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of de-emphasize

24 similar words

Another word for de-emphasize is underestimate. Other synonyms of de-emphasize are downplay, belittle, understate, trivialize and denigrate.

Synonyms and similar words for de-emphasize

verbTo remove or reduce the emphasis from something; to make something less important; to play down.

  • downplayTo de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.
  • make light ofTo regard without due seriousness; to joke about.
  • understateTo state (something) with less completeness than needed; to minimise or downplay.
  • bagatellizeTo regard as a bagatelle; to play down, trivialize or belittle.
  • banalizeTo make banal or commonplace.
  • belittleTo disparage, depreciate, or minimize the importance, value, merit, or significance of someone or something.
  • cut down
  • denigrateTo treat as worthless; belittle, degrade or disparage.
  • degrade
  • deprecateTo belittle, depreciate.
  • derogateTo detract from (something); to disparage, belittle.
  • disparageTo dishonor by a comparison with what is inferior; to lower in rank or estimation by actions or words; to speak...
  • dispraiseTo notice with disapprobation or some degree of censure; to disparage, to criticize.
  • lilliputianizeTo make small or petty.
  • make little ofTo belittle.
  • make nothing ofTo consider as trifling or unimportant.
  • minimizeTo treat as trivial or insignificant; to trivialize.
  • play downTo make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.
  • superficializeTo render superficial; to trivialize.
  • trivializeTo make something appear trivial.
  • underestimateTo perceive or expect (someone or something) to be less significant or difficult than it actually is.
  • underplayTo make something seem less important than it really is.
  • set at nought archaicTo treat as unimportant or worthless; to despise, disregard, defy, unheed.
  • vilipend dated, formalTo treat (something) as inconsequential or worthless; to despise, to look down on.

Meaning of de-emphasize

  1. verb To remove or reduce the emphasis from something; to make something less important; to play down.

Full definition of de-emphasize

de-emphasize in other languages

Questions about synonyms of de-emphasize

What is another word for de-emphasize?
De-emphasize has 24 synonyms on Word.ws, such as underestimate, downplay, belittle, understate, trivialize, denigrate, disparage and minimize.
What does de-emphasize mean?
De-emphasize means to remove or reduce the emphasis from something; to make something less important; to play down.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: de-emphasize (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Cite this page: “Synonyms of de-emphasize.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/de-emphasize. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.