understate

英 [ˌʌndəˈsteɪt]

美 [ˌʌndərˈsteɪt]

v.  轻描淡写; 避重就轻地说

过去分词：understated　过去式：understated　第三人称单数：understates　现在分词：understating　复数：understates　

GRETEM8

Collins.1 / BNC.15122 / COCA.12982

牛津词典

verb

• 轻描淡写；避重就轻地说
  to state that sth is smaller, less important or less serious than it really is
  1. It would be a mistake to understate the seriousness of the problem.
     对该问题的严重性轻描淡写是错误的。

柯林斯词典

• VERB 不充分如实地陈述；对…轻描淡写；打折扣地说
  If youunderstatesomething, you describe it in a way that suggests that it is less important or serious than it really is.
  1. The government chooses deliberately to understate the increase in prices...
     政府故意对物价上涨轻描淡写。
  2. That understates my commitment to the orchestra.
     那没有充分表达我对管弦乐队的热爱。

英英释义

verb

• represent as less significant or important
  Synonym:minimizeminimisedownplay

双语例句

• We may be looking at long-term, double-digit unemployment with official unemployment figures that understate the extent of the problem.
  我们可能会看到失业率长期处于两位数，而官方失业数据仍将低估问题的严重性。
• In addition, experience suggests that as the threat of a downturn increases, corporate leaders tend to understate it, in an attempt to maintain morale among staff, customers and investors.
  此外，经验表明，当经济低迷的威胁加剧时，企业领袖往往会加以淡化，试图保持员工、客户和投资者的士气。
• To call this a security hole is to understate the point woefully.
  不幸的是，将它称之为安全性漏洞有些轻描淡写。
• Understate one's losses, eg of money, troops I get only meagre pay.
  少报损失（如金钱、兵员的损失）.我只得到很少的报酬。
• That understates my commitment to the orchestra.
  那没有充分表达我对管弦乐队的热爱。
• Furthermore, these numbers understate the gap in living conditions between the US and Brics countries.
  而且，这些数字低估了美国和金砖四国（Brics）生活条件之间的差距。
• Even these robust retail sales understate the strength of consumer spending, says Arthur Kroeber of Dragonomics, a Beijing-based economic research firm.
  设在北京的经济研究公司Dragonomics的ArthurKroeber说，即使是这些强劲的销售数字，也没有完全体现出消费支出的强健。
• Yet some economists believe the official numbers might actually understate the hot money inflows.
  但一些经济学家认为，官方数字实际上可能低估了热钱流入。
• Some journalists feel that official data on such diseases tends to understate the real extent of outbreaks.
  一些记者觉得，这类疾病的官方数据往往比疾病暴发时的真正程度更保守。
• It used the pension funding ratios calculated by the states themselves, which almost certainly understate the size of the hole.
  它利用的养老金资金供应比例是由各州自行计算的，这些数据几乎肯定低估了缺口的规模。