Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of downplay

23 similar words

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

Synonyms and similar words for downplay

verbTo de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.

  • play downTo make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.
  • trivializeTo make something appear trivial.
  • 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
  • de-emphasizeTo remove or reduce the emphasis from something; to make something less important; to play 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.
  • superficializeTo render superficial; to trivialize.
  • 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 downplay

  1. verb To de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.

Full definition of downplay

downplay in other languages

Questions about synonyms of downplay

What is another word for downplay?
Downplay has 23 synonyms on Word.ws, such as de-emphasize, underestimate, belittle, understate, trivialize, denigrate, disparage and minimize.
What does downplay mean?
Downplay means to de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: downplay (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.

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