Definition of "understate" in Englisch

verb

1. (transitive) To state (something) with less completeness than needed; to minimise or downplay.

   • To call it a calculated bet understates the risk; it is a Hail Mary pass.

2. (transitive) To state (something) with a lack of emphasis, in order to express irony.

3. To state a quantity that is too low.

   • The company had been understating its liabilities for years.