Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [pley doun]
- /pleɪ daʊn/
- /pleɪ daʊn/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [pley doun]
- /pleɪ daʊn/
Definitions of play down words
- noun play down a dramatic composition or piece; drama. 1
- noun play down a dramatic performance, as on the stage. 1
- noun play down exercise or activity for amusement or recreation. 1
- noun play down fun or jest, as opposed to seriousness: I said it merely in play. 1
- noun play down a pun. 1
- noun play down the playing, action, or conduct of a game: The pitcher was replaced in the fourth inning of play. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of play down
First appearance:
before 1935 One of the 8% newest English words
First recorded in 1935-40; play + down1
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Play down
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
play down popularity
A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 32% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
According to our data about 66% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.
play down usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for play down
verb play down
- be-little — to regard or portray as less impressive or important than appearances indicate; depreciate; disparage.
- bemean — to make mean; demean; debase (usually used reflexively).
- blistered — a thin vesicle on the skin, containing watery matter or serum, as from a burn or other injury.
- blue pencil — deletion, alteration, or censorship of the contents of a book or other work
- blue-pencil — to alter, abridge, or cancel with or as with a pencil that has blue lead, as in editing a manuscript.
Antonyms for play down
verb play down
- aggravate — If someone or something aggravates a situation, they make it worse.
- amplify — If you amplify a sound, you make it louder, usually by using electronic equipment.
- build up — If you build up something or if it builds up, it gradually becomes bigger, for example because more is added to it.
- bulking — the expansion of excavated material to a volume greater than that of the excavation from which it came
- caricaturing — a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things: His caricature of the mayor in this morning's paper is the best he's ever drawn.
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with p
- Words starting with pl
- Words starting with pla
- Words starting with play
- Words starting with playd
- Words starting with playdo
- Words starting with playdow
- Words starting with playdown