Understated — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˌən-dər-ˈstā-təd/ un·der·stat·ed

Meaning & Definition of Understated

Understated (adjective)

  1. avoiding obvious emphasis or embellishment

Understated (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not excessively showy

    "the actor's understated interpretation of the lead role is surprisingly compelling"

    similar: conservative, low-key, muted, quiet, repressed, restrained, sober, subdued, toned-down, unflashy, unpretentious
    related: appropriate, becoming, fit, fitting, proper, suitable, modest, plain, simple, unadorned, undecorated, inconspicuous, unnoticeable, unobtrusive, graceful, handsome, refined, tasteful, drab, mousy, practical, sensible
    opposite: flamboyant, flaring, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, loud, noisy, ostentatious, razzle-dazzle, splashy, swank
    near: meretricious, graceless, inelegant, tacky, tasteless, tawdry, trashy, vulgar, baroque, fancy, frilly, gilded, ornate, rococo, overdecorated, overdone, overwrought

Understated (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to say that (something) is smaller, less important, etc., than it really is

    "He understated his taxable income."

    "She's trying to understate the issue/problem."

    similar: underplayed, de-emphasized, downplayed, played down, soft-pedaled, bad-mouthed, belittled, cried down, decried, denigrated, deprecated, depreciated, derogated, dismissed, disparaged, kissed off, minimized, poor-mouthed, put down, ran down, talked down, trashed, trash-talked
    opposite: exaggerated, overdid, overdrew, overstated, elaborated, embellished, embroidered, magnified, padded, stretched, fudged, hedged, melodramatized, overemphasized, overplayed, sensationalized

Related Entry: Understate (verb)

Understate is a different word from Understated. The synonyms below are for understate, not for understated.

  1. to say that (something) is smaller, less important, etc., than it really is

    "He understated his taxable income."

    "She's trying to understate the issue/problem."

    similar: underplay, de-emphasize, downplay, play down, soft-pedal, bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, decry, denigrate, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, dismiss, disparage, kiss off, minimize, poor-mouth, put down, run down, talk down, trash, trash-talk
    opposite: exaggerate, overdo, overdraw, overstate, elaborate, embellish, embroider, magnify, pad, stretch, fudge, hedge, melodramatize, overemphasize, overplay, sensationalize

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Understated

The most common words with a similar meaning to Understated:

conservative, low-key, muted, quiet, repressed, restrained, sober, subdued, toned-down, unflashy, unpretentious, underplayed, de-emphasized, downplayed, played down, soft-pedaled, bad-mouthed, belittled, cried down, decried, denigrated, deprecated, depreciated, derogated, dismissed, disparaged, kissed off, minimized, poor-mouthed, put down, ran down, talked down, trashed, trash-talked

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Understated

Words with the opposite meaning of Understated:

flamboyant, flaring, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, loud, noisy, ostentatious, razzle-dazzle, splashy, swank, exaggerated, overdid, overdrew, overstated, elaborated, embellished, embroidered, magnified, padded, stretched, fudged, hedged, melodramatized, overemphasized, overplayed, sensationalized

Related Words for Understated

appropriate, becoming, fit, fitting, proper, suitable, modest, plain, simple, unadorned, undecorated, inconspicuous, unnoticeable, unobtrusive, graceful, handsome, refined, tasteful, drab, mousy, practical, sensible

Near Antonyms of Understated

meretricious, graceless, inelegant, tacky, tasteless, tawdry, trashy, vulgar, baroque, fancy, frilly, gilded, ornate, rococo, overdecorated, overdone, overwrought

Word Forms of Understated

Derived words: understatedly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Understated

First known use: circa 1909

Frequently Asked Questions about Understated

What does "Understated" mean?

"Understated" means avoiding obvious emphasis or embellishment. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: avoiding obvious emphasis or embellishment. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Understated"?

Other words for "Understated" include conservative, low-key, muted, quiet, repressed, restrained, sober and subdued. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Understated" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Understated"?

There are 56 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Understated". Common alternatives include conservative, low-key, muted, quiet, repressed, restrained, sober, subdued, toned-down and unflashy.

What is the opposite of "Understated"?

Antonyms of "Understated" include flamboyant, flaring, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, loud and noisy. Near antonyms include meretricious, graceless, inelegant and tacky.

How do you use "Understated" in a sentence?

Examples of "Understated" in a sentence: "the actor's understated interpretation of the lead role is surprisingly compelling"; "He understated his taxable income."; "She's trying to understate the issue/problem.".

Is "Understated" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Understated" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Understated"?

"Understated" is pronounced /ˌən-dər-ˈstā-təd/ and divided into syllables as un·der·stat·ed.

What is the origin of the word "Understated"?

First known use: circa 1909.