noun
Meaning 1
The act of underplaying.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
underplay
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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rhymes with -eɪ
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CMU ARPABET: AH2 N D ER0 P L EY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To play in a subordinate, or in an inferior manner; to underact a part.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To make something seem less important than it really is.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: belittle, downplay, understate, bagatellize, banalize, cut down, de-emphasize, denigrate, degrade, deprecate, derogate, disparage, dispraise, lilliputianize, make little of, make nothing of, minimize, play down, set at nought, superficialize, trivialize, underestimate, underplay, vilipend
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To play a low card when holding a high one, in the hope of a future advantage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: card-games, games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
play a card lower than (a held high card)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: play
verb
Meaning 6
act (a role) with great restraint
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: underact
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: act, play, roleplay, playact
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Indo-European *h1entér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dhí Proto-Indo-European *-ér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dhér Proto-Germanic *under Proto-West Germanic *undar Old English under- Middle English under- English under- English play English underplay From under- + play.
Across languages
Translations
4 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Finnish: alinäytellä — to play in an inferior manner — see also underact
- Spanish: restarse — to play in an inferior manner — see also underact
- Spanish: minimizarse — to play in an inferior manner — see also underact
- Finnish: laistaa — card games: to play a low card when holding a high one