de-emphasize

UK/diːˈɛmfəsaɪz/

verb

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

Similar
downplaymake light ofunderstatebagatellizebanalizebelittlecut downdenigrate
OriginEnglish emphasize ← Latin dē- ← Proto-Italic *dē →
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Meanings

verbde-emphasize (third-person singular simple present de-emphasizes, present participle de-emphasizing, simple past and past participle de-emphasized)

present singular third person de-emphasizes · participle present de-emphasizing · participle past de-emphasized · past de-emphasized · alternative de-emphasise · alternative deemphasise · alternative deemphasize · alternative deëmphasize

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

    Synonyms: downplay, make light of, understate, bagatellize, banalize, belittle, cut down, denigrate

Synonyms & antonyms

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

Similar
downplaymake light ofunderstatebagatellizebanalizebelittlecut downdenigratedegradedeprecatederogatedisparagedispraisedownplaylilliputianizemake little ofmake nothing ofminimizeplay down

More synonyms by meaning

verbreduce the emphasis

Similar
de-emphasisedestress
Broader
changealtermodify
Also see
bagatellizebanalizebelittledenigratedeprecatederogatedestressdial backdownplaymake little ofmake nothing ofminimizeplay downslightsoft-pedalsuperficializetrivializeunderestimateunderplayunderstateundertonevilipend

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Englishde-
  7. Englishemphasize
  8. Englishde-emphasize

From de- + emphasize.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Irish dí-bhéimnigh
  • dí-bhéimnighTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

de-emphasize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/de-emphasize

MLA

“de-emphasize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/de-emphasize. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “de-emphasize,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/de-emphasize.

Source: de-emphasize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.