[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/understate.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / understate

[← U](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/U/)

# understate

«understate» in Mova's school dictionary: **to say that something is smaller, less important or less…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

verb (understate, understates, understated, understating)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To understate means to say that something is smaller, less important or less serious than it really is. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understate/#m1)

2) Understated (adjective) also means simple and quiet in style, not showy: «an understated dress». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understate/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In English lessons, «understatement» is a figure of speech: saying less than you mean, often for humour («It's a bit wet» in a flood); it is a well-known feature of British humour. In science and news, understating danger or numbers can mislead people. Phrases: «understate the problem», «to say it was hard would be to understate it».

### examples

- He understated how hurt he was, so no one took him to the nurse. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understate/#x1)
- «A bit chilly» understates it — it's freezing! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understate/#x2)
- The report understated the number of people affected by the flood. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understate/#x3)
- Don't understate the danger of thin ice. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understate/#x4)
- Her clothes were simple and understated. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understate/#x5)
- Calling the storm «breezy» was a huge understatement. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understate/#x6)

### note

Regular verb: understated. Noun: an understatement. Opposite: overstate, exaggerate. Understatement is not lying when everyone knows the real size; it is a way of being funny or modest.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «understate» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understate/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.