Word · Frequency #33706
downplay
淡化；轻描淡写
核心释义
to make something seem less important or serious than it really is
- 1.
淡化；将...描绘成不那么重要或有影响。
To de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.
淡化；将...描绘成不那么重要或有影响。；不予重视
用法In use
The company downplays the risks of its new product in the advertisement.
用法提示：这里 downplays 是动词的第三人称单数形式，表示‘故意淡化’或‘不强调’某事的严重性。
She downplayed her role in the project's success during the meeting.
用法提示：downplayed 是过去式，用于表达过去某人对某事的重要性进行弱化处理。
He is downplaying the injury to avoid causing worry among his teammates.
用法提示：downplaying 是现在分词，用于进行时态，表示正在有意识地降低某事的严重性。
downplay something
直接跟名词，表示淡化某事物的重要性或严重性。
He tried to downplay the incident.
他试图淡化这件事。
downplay the importance/significance of something
常用搭配，强调对某方面重要性的弱化。
相关词与表达Connections
搭配Collocations
- downplay the importance of
- 淡化……的重要性
- They downplayed the importance of the meeting.他们淡化了这次会议的重要性。
- downplay the severity of
- 淡化……的严重性
- The government downplayed the severity of the outbreak.政府淡化了这次疫情的严重性。
- downplay concerns about
- 淡化对……的担忧
- The CEO downplayed concerns about rising costs.首席执行官淡化了人们对成本上涨的担忧。
- downplay one's role in
- 淡化自己在……中的作用
- She downplays her role in the charity's success.她淡化了个人在慈善机构成功中的作用。
- downplay the impact of
学习提示Learner notes
记忆技巧Memory Tip
联想：把重要的事往下一按（down），再轻描淡写地应付（play），故意显得不重要。
语境与语域Context & Register
语域：neutral 常见场景：日常交流、新闻报道、职场沟通 downplay 属于中性表达，正式与非正式场合都比较常见，通常指刻意降低某事的重要性或影响；口语和书面语中都会出现，具体语气随搭配和语境变化。
语法说明Grammar Note
及物动词，后接宾语，常用于正式语境。
发音与拼写Pronunciation & Spelling
No common English word fully rhymes with downplay, because its stress falls on the first syllable (DOWN-play), making the rhyme stretch from /daʊn/ to the end. Words ending in -play (e.g., display, replay, outplay) share the final /pleɪ/ sound but are stressed on -play, so they are not perfect rhymes. Down shares the same /daʊn/ opening sound, not the rhyme.
用法优先级Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.