understate

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v. 不完全地陈述, 保守地说, 有意轻描淡写

发音

其它 /ʌndəˈsteɪt/

词形变化

understated understates 三单 understates understating understating 现在分词 understated 过去式 understated 过去分词

释义与例句

v.
  1. 1.

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

    及物

    To call this decision a calculated bet understates the risk; it is a Hail Mary pass.

  2. 2.

    To state (something) with an intentional lack of emphasis, in order to express irony.

    及物

    She is the queen of understatement: she understated her critique masterfully.

  3. 3.

    To state a quantity that is too low.

    The company had been understating its liabilities for years.

词汇关系

动词

同义词 3

minimize minimise downplay

反义词 1

overstate

上位词 1

inform

下位词 2

trivialise trivialize

词源

From under- + state.

来源：wiktionary