underplay

/ˌʌndəˈpleɪ/ (bre, ipa) · [ˌʌndɚplˈe] /ˌʌndərˈpleɪ/ (ame, ipa) · [ˌʌndɚplˈe] /ˌən-dər-ˈplā How to pronounce underplay (audio)/ (ame, mw)

underplay — verb

  • underplaypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • underplayshe / she / it
  • underplayedpast simple
  • underplaying-ing form

1. to describe or treat a situation, problem, or risk as being smaller or less seri

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to describe or treat a situation, problem, or risk as being smaller or less serious than the facts suggest it actually is

例句

Lucas admitted that he had underplayed the storm's damage when he spoke to the insurance company.

collocation: underplay the damage / the risks / the severity

The company's safety report underplayed the health risks of the new chemical.

同義詞
  • downplay

    more common in everyday speech; identical meaning

  • minimize

    stronger connotation of deliberate deception

  • play down

    phrasal verb; slightly more informal

  • trivialize

    negative connotation; treating a serious matter as unimportant

反義詞
  • overplay

    opposite: make something seem more important or serious than it is

  • exaggerate

    broader meaning; opposite effect

文法句型

underplay + noun phrase (the risks / the damage / the problem)

用法筆記

Frequently used in contexts where someone has a motive to reduce the perceived seriousness of bad news — such as in corporate reports, political statements, or personal conflict. The object is typically something undesirable (damage, risk, cost, problem, threat).

常見錯誤

❌The manager underplayed that the project was late.
✅The manager underplayed the seriousness of the project delay.
💡'underplay' takes a noun phrase, not a that-clause, as its object.
❌He underplayed the music too loud.
✅He underplayed the severity of the music venue's noise problem.
💡'underplay' does not mean 'play too quietly'; it means 'make something seem less important.'

2. to perform a role, scene, or emotion with intentional restraint, using small ges

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to perform a role, scene, or emotion with intentional restraint, using small gestures, quiet delivery, or minimal expression instead of showing strong feelings openly

例句

The director advised Henrik to underplay the final speech and let the audience reach its own emotional conclusion.

Shirin underplayed her character's fear so subtly that viewers felt the tension without seeing it directly.

pattern: underplay + [emotion] + subtly

同義詞
  • play down

    works for both senses; less precise for performance contexts

  • tone down

    implies a deliberate reduction in forcefulness

  • restrain

    emphasises the controlled quality of the performance

反義詞
  • overact

    to perform with exaggerated emotion, opposite approach

  • ham it up

    informal; to overplay a role for comic or dramatic effect

文法句型

underplay + noun phrase (a role / a scene / an emotion)

用法筆記

This sense belongs almost exclusively to theatre and film criticism. Unlike sense 1, the object is always a creative element (role, scene, character, emotion), and the motivation is artistic choice rather than concealment. Distinguish from sense 1 by checking whether the context is a performance review or an evaluation of real-world risk.

常見錯誤

❌She underplayed her acting in the movie.
✅She underplayed the climactic scene in the movie.
💡'underplay' takes the creative work itself (scene, role), not the general activity (acting, performing).