Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of understate

30 similar words · 17 opposite words

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

Synonyms and similar words for understate

verbTo state (something) with less completeness than needed; to minimise or downplay.

  • downplayTo de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.
  • trivializeTo make something appear trivial.
  • 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.
  • play downTo make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.
  • 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.

verbTo state a quantity that is too low.

  • underrateTo underestimate; to make too low a rate or estimate.
  • misunderestimateTo underestimate mistakenly or wrongly; to misestimate with an error on the lower side.
  • sell shortTo underestimate the value of something; to understate its value.
  • underapproximateTo form an underapproximation of.
  • underguessTo make a guess that is too small; to underestimate.
  • underjudgeTo judge too little or below accepted standards.
  • underreckonTo reckon below what is right or proper; to underrate.

Opposite of understate

verbTo state (something) with less completeness than needed; to minimise or downplay.

verbTo state a quantity that is too low.

  • overapproximateTo form an overapproximation of.
  • overestimateTo judge or calculate too highly.
  • overholdTo overvalue; overestimate; hold or estimate at too dear a rate.
  • overrateTo overstate or overestimate in amount, extent, degree, etc.
  • overreckonTo overestimate.
  • overthink rareTo think too highly (of); overestimate.

Meaning of understate

  1. verb To state (something) with less completeness than needed; to minimise or downplay.
  2. verb To state (something) with an intentional lack of emphasis, in order to express irony.
  3. verb To state a quantity that is too low.

Full definition of understate

understate in other languages

Questions about synonyms of understate

What is another word for understate?
Understate has 30 synonyms on Word.ws, such as de-emphasize, underestimate, downplay, belittle, trivialize, denigrate, disparage and minimize.
What is the opposite of understate?
The opposite of understate is exaggerate. Other antonyms of understate are overstate, overestimate, three-sheet and overemphasize.
What does understate mean?
Understate means to state (something) with less completeness than needed; to minimise or downplay.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: understate (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 understate.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/understate. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.