Downplay vs Lessen - What's the difference?
downplay | lessen |
To de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.
To make less; to diminish; to reduce.
* Calamy
* Atterbury
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=December 16
, author=Denis Campbell
, title=Hospital staff 'lack skills to cope with dementia patients'
, work=Guardian
To become less.
In lang=en terms the difference between downplay and lessen
is that downplay is to de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential while lessen is to become less.As verbs the difference between downplay and lessen
is that downplay is to de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential while lessen is to make less; to diminish; to reduce.downplay
English
Alternative forms
* play downVerb
(en verb)- He would sometimes downplay his Princeton education by saying simply that he went to school in New Jersey.
Usage notes
* The synonymous alternative form (play down) is slightly more formal, or slightly less informal.Anagrams
*lessen
English
Verb
(en verb)- Charity shall lessen his punishment.
- St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it.
citation, page= , passage=Many hospitals have not taken simple steps to lessen the distress and confusion which dementia sufferers' often feel on being somewhere so unfamiliar – such as making signs large and easy to read, using colour schemes to help patients find their way around unfamiliar wards and not putting family mementoes such as photographs nearby.}}