DOWNPLAY Meaning and
Definition
-
Downplay is a verb that refers to a deliberate act of minimizing or treating as less significant, important, or serious than it actually is. It involves understating or diminishing the significance, value, or impact of something or someone in order to downsize its importance or to avoid drawing attention to it. The intention behind downplaying can vary, such as to reduce the alarm, concern, or attention given to a situation, to lessen its potential negative effects, or to maintain a sense of control or calmness.
When a person downplays a situation, they tend to downplay the associated risks, consequences, or severity. This could occur in various contexts, including personal communication, politics, media, or business. For instance, a political figure might downplay an economic downturn to maintain public confidence. Similarly, an individual may downplay their achievements in order to appear more humble and avoid sounding boastful.
In communication, downplaying can involve the use of minimizing language, downplaying gestures or tones, logical fallacies, or providing incomplete or misleading information. It aims to influence perception by manipulating the significance attached to certain aspects of a situation.
However, downplaying is not always negative or manipulative. In some instances, it can be used to soften the impact of a situation or to reduce unnecessary anxiety or concern. It may be employed to keep emotions in check, maintain focus on more important matters, or avoid causing panic. Downplaying can be a strategic approach to maintain stability, harmony, or to establish a balanced perspective.
Common Misspellings for DOWNPLAY
Etymology of DOWNPLAY
The word "downplay" originated in the early 20th century in the United States. It is a compound word that combines the prefix "down-" (meaning to reduce or lower) and the noun "play". The prefix "down-" suggests diminishing or minimizing something, while "play" refers to an action or performance. The term "downplay" was initially used in theatrical contexts, meaning to reduce the significance or importance of a role or a scene. Over time, its usage expanded to generalize the act of minimizing or de-emphasizing any type of significance or importance.
Conjugate verb Downplay
CONDITIONAL
I
would downplay
we
would downplay
you
would downplay
he/she/it
would downplay
they
would downplay
CONDITIONAL PERFECT
I
would have downplay
you
would have downplay
he/she/it
would have downplay
we
would have downplay
they
would have downplay
FUTURE
I
will downplay
we
will downplay
you
will downplay
he/she/it
will downplay
they
will downplay
FUTURE PERFECT
I
will have downplayed
we
will have downplayed
you
will have downplayed
he/she/it
will have downplayed
they
will have downplayed
IMPERATIVE
you
downplay
we
let´s downplay
to downplay
PAST
I
downplayed
we
downplayed
you
downplayed
he/she/it
downplayed
they
downplayed
PAST PARTICIPLE
downplayed
PAST PERFECT
I
had downplayed
we
had downplayed
you
had downplayed
he/she/it
had downplayed
they
had downplayed
PRESENT
I
downplay
we
downplay
you
downplay
he/she/it
downplays
they
downplay
PRESENT PARTICIPLE
downplaying
PRESENT PERFECT
I
have downplayed
we
have downplayed
you
have downplayed
he/she/it
has downplayed
they
have downplayed
I
am downplaying
we
are downplaying
you
are downplaying
he/she/it
is downplaying
they
are downplaying
I
was downplaying
we
were downplaying
you
were downplaying
he/she/it
was downplaying
they
were downplaying
I
will be downplaying
we
will be downplaying
you
will be downplaying
he/she/it
will be downplaying
they
will be downplaying
I
have been downplaying
we
have been downplaying
you
have been downplaying
he/she/it
has been downplaying
they
have been downplaying
I
had been downplaying
we
had been downplaying
you
had been downplaying
he/she/it
had been downplaying
they
had been downplaying
I
will have been downplaying
we
will have been downplaying
you
will have been downplaying
he/she/it
will have been downplaying
they
will have been downplaying
I
would have downplayed
we
would have downplayed
you
would have downplayed
he/she/it
would have downplayed
they
would have downplayed
I
would be downplaying
we
would be downplaying
you
would be downplaying
he/she/it
would be downplaying
they
would be downplaying
I
would have been downplaying
we
would have been downplaying
you
would have been downplaying
he/she/it
would have been downplaying
they
would have been downplaying
Infographic
Add the infographic to your website:
