herunterspielen — meaning in English

English meaning

• belittle verb To speak of someone or something as less important or impressive than it really is, often to show contempt.
• downplay verb To de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.

Senses

herunterspielen is used for these senses in English:

• belittle (transitive) To knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation. [from 1782]
• downplay (transitive) To de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.
• soft-pedal (figuratively) To reduce the force or impact of (something); to damp, to mute; especially, to minimize the less desirable aspects of (something); to play down, to tone down.

Related German words