play down
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play
(plā)v. played, play·ing, plays
v.intr.
1. To occupy oneself in an activity for amusement or recreation: children playing with toys.
2.
a. To take part in a sport or game: He's just a beginner and doesn't play well.
b. To participate in betting; gamble.
3.
a. To behave in a teasing or joking manner; act in jest or sport: She's not angry with you; she's just playing.
b. To deal or behave carelessly or indifferently, especially for one's own amusement; toy: She isn't interested in you; she's just playing with you.
4. To act or conduct oneself in a specified way: play fair; an investor who plays cautiously.
5. To act, especially in a dramatic production.
6. Music
a. To perform on an instrument: play on an accordion.
b. To emit sound or be sounded in performance: The band is playing.
7. To be performed, as in a theater or on television: A good movie is playing tonight.
8. To be received or accepted: a speech that played poorly with the voters.
9. To move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly: The breeze played on the water.
10. To function or discharge uninterruptedly: The fountains played in the courtyard.
11. To move or operate freely within a bounded space, as machine parts do.
v.tr.
1.
a. To engage in (a game or sport): play hockey; play chess.
b. To compete against in a game or sport: We play the Tigers today.
c. To compete in a game or sport at (a location): The New York Yankees played Fenway Park last night.
d. To occupy or work at (a position) in a game: Lou Gehrig played first base.
e. To put (a player) at a position in a sport or in a game: Let's play her at first base.
f. To use or move (a card or piece) in a game: play the ace of clubs
g. To hit (a ball, shot, or stroke), as in tennis: played a strong backhand.
h. To attempt to keep or gain possession or control of: No foul was called because he was playing the ball.
2.
a. To perform or act (a role or part) in a dramatic performance.
b. To assume the role of; act as: played the peacemaker at the meeting.
c. To pretend to be; mimic the activities of: played cowboy; played the star.
3.
a. To perform (a theatrical work or part of a work): The actors played the scene with great skill.
b. To present a theatrical performance or other entertainment in (a given place): The company played Boston last week.
4.
a. To bet; wager: played ten dollars on the horse.
b. To make bets on: play the races.
5.
a. To perform or put into effect, especially as a jest or deception: play a joke on a friend.
b. To handle; manage: played the matter quietly.
c. To use or manipulate, especially for one's own interests: played his opponents against each other.
6. Music
a. To perform on (an instrument): play the guitar.
b. To perform (a piece) on instruments or an instrument.
7. To cause (a movie, audiotape, or other recording) to be presented in audible or visible form.
8. To discharge or direct in a certain direction: played the water on the burning roof.
9. To cause to move rapidly, lightly, or irregularly: play lights over the dance floor.
10. To exhaust (a hooked fish) by allowing it to pull on the line.
n.
Phrasal Verbs: 1.
a. A literary work written for performance on the stage; a drama.
b. The performance of such a work.
2. Activity engaged in for enjoyment or recreation.
3. Fun or jesting: It was all done in play.
4.
a. The act or manner of engaging in a game or sport: After a time-out, play resumed. The golf tournament featured expert play.
b. The act or manner of using a card, piece, or ball in a game or sport: my partner's play of the last trump; his clumsy play of the rebound.
c. A move or an action in a game: It's your play. The runner was thrown out in a close play.
5. Participation in betting; gambling.
6. Manner of dealing with others; conduct: fair play.
7. An attempt to obtain something; a bid: a play for sympathy.
8.
a. Action, motion, or use: the play of the imagination.
b. Freedom or occasion for action; scope: give full play to an artist's talents.
9. Movement or space for movement, as of mechanical parts.
10. Quick, often irregular movement or action, especially of light or color: the play of color on iridescent feathers.
11. A control mechanism on an audio or video player that starts or resumes the audible or visual presentation of a recording.
12. A geological deposit, as of oil or natural gas, considered as a prospect for commercial extraction.
play along Informal
To cooperate or pretend to cooperate: decided to play along with the robbers for a while.
play around
To philander.
play at
1. To participate in; engage in.
2. To do or take part in halfheartedly.
play back
To replay (a recently recorded tape, for example).
play down
To minimize the importance of; make little of: played down the defect to protect the troops' morale.
play off
1. Sports
a. To establish the winner of (a tie) by playing in an additional game or series of games.
b. To participate in a playoff.
2. To set (one individual or party) in opposition to another so as to advance one's own interests: a parent who played off one child against another.
play on (or upon)
To take advantage of (another's attitudes or feelings) for one's own interests: demagogues who play on popular fears.
play out
To use up; exhaust: Our strength was played out early in the contest.
play up
Idioms: To emphasize or publicize: She played up her experience during the job interview.
in play
1. Sports In a position to be legally or feasibly played: The ball is now in play.
2. In a position, or rumored to be in a position of possible corporate takeover: The company's stock rose in price when it was said to be in play.
out of play Sports
Not in a position to be legally or feasibly played.
play ball Slang
To cooperate: The opposing attorneys refused to play ball with us.
play both ends against the middle
To set opposing parties or interests against one another so as to advance one's own goals.
play fast and loose
To behave in a recklessly irresponsible or deceitful manner: played fast and loose with the facts.
play for time
To use delaying tactics; temporize.
play games Slang
To be evasive or deceptive: Quit playing games and tell me what you want.
play hard to get
To pretend to be uninterested in a romantic relationship.
play in Peoria Slang
To be acceptable to average constituents or consumers.
play into (someone's) hands
To act or behave so as to give an advantage to an opponent.
play it by ear
To act according to the circumstances; improvise: I don't have a set schedule, so we'll have to play it by ear.
play (one's) cards Informal
To use the resources or strategies at one's disposal: played her cards right and got promoted.
play possum
To pretend to be sleeping or dead.
play the field
To date more than one person at the same time.
play the game Informal
To behave according to the accepted customs or standards.
play up to
To curry favor with.
play with a full deck Slang
To be of sound mind: didn't seem to be playing with a full deck.
play with fire
To take part in a dangerous or risky undertaking.
play with (oneself) Vulgar Slang
To masturbate.
play′a·bil′i·ty n.
play′a·ble adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
play down
vb
(tr, adverb) to make little or light of; minimize the importance of
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Verb | 1. | play down - understate the importance or quality of; "he played down his royal ancestry" wave off - dismiss as insignificant; "He waved off suggestions of impropriety" soft-pedal - play down or obscure; "His advisers soft-pedaled the president's blunder" accent, accentuate, emphasize, stress, punctuate, emphasise - to stress, single out as important; "Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet" foreground, highlight, play up, spotlight - move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent; "The introduction highlighted the speaker's distinguished career in linguistics" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
play
verb2. To move one's fingers or hands in a nervous or aimless fashion:
6. To make music:
9. To control to one's own advantage by artful or indirect means:
play along
Informal. To agree to cooperate or participate:
play around
Informal. To be sexually unfaithful to another:
play down
To make less emphatic or obvious:
Informal: soft-pedal.
play off
phrasal verb
play out
2. To use all of:
Informal: polish off.
play up
To accord emphasis to:
1. Activity engaged in for relaxation and amusement:
3. The act of putting into play:
4. Suitable opportunity to accept or allow something:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُقَلِّل من أهَمِّيَّة
bagatelizovat
afdramatiserebagatellisere
restar importancia
gera lítiî úr
önemsiz göstermeye çalışmak
w>play down
vt sep → herunterspielen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
play
(plei) verb1. to amuse oneself. The child is playing in the garden; He is playing with his toys; The little girl wants to play with her friends.
2. to take part in (games etc). He plays football; He is playing in goal; Here's a pack of cards – who wants to play (with me)?; I'm playing golf with him this evening.
3. to act in a play etc; to act (a character). She's playing Lady Macbeth; The company is playing in London this week.
4. (of a play etc) to be performed. `Oklahoma' is playing at the local theatre.
5. to (be able to) perform on (a musical instrument). She plays the piano; Who was playing the piano this morning?; He plays (the oboe) in an orchestra.
6. (usually with on) to carry out or do (a trick). He played a trick on me.
7. (usually with at) to compete against (someone) in a game etc. I'll play you at tennis.
8. (of light) to pass with a flickering movement. The firelight played across the ceiling.
9. to direct (over or towards something). The firemen played their hoses over the burning house.
10. to put down or produce (a playing-card) as part of a card game. He played the seven of hearts.
noun1. recreation; amusement. A person must have time for both work and play.
2. an acted story; a drama. Shakespeare wrote many great plays.
3. the playing of a game. At the start of today's play, England was leading India by fifteen runs.
4. freedom of movement (eg in part of a machine).
ˈplayer nounˈplayable adjective
(negative unplayable) (of a ground, pitch etc) not good enough for a game to be played on it. Because of the rain the referee decided the ground was not playable.
ˈplayful adjective1. happy; full of the desire to play. a playful kitten.
2. joking; not serious. a playful remark.
ˈplayfully adverbˈplayfulness noun
ˈplayboy noun
a rich man who spends his time and money on pleasure.
ˈplayground noun an area in which children can play in a park, outside a school etc.
ˈplaying-card noun one of a pack of cards used in card games.
ˈplaying-field noun a field which is specially prepared and used for sport.
ˈplaymate noun a childhood friend.
ˈplaypen noun a small wooden structure with bars on every side in which a small child can play safely.
ˈplayschool noun an informal nursery school.
ˈplaything noun a toy.
ˈplaytime noun a set time for children to play (at school etc). The children go outside at playtime.
ˈplaywright noun a person who writes plays. He is a famous playwright.
at play playing. children at play.
bring/come into play to (cause to) be used or exercised. The job allowed him to bring all his talents into play.
child's play something that is very easy. Of course you can do it – it's child's play!
in play, out of play (of a ball) according to the rules of the game, (not) in a position where it can be hit, kicked etc.
play at1. to pretend to be etc. The children were playing at cowboys and Indians.
2. used when asking angrily what someone is doing. What does he think he's playing at (=doing)?
play back to play (music, speech etc) on a record or tape after it has just been recorded (noun ˈplay-back) play down
to try to make (something) appear less important. He played down the fact that he had failed the exam.
play fair to act honestly and fairly.
play for time to delay an action, decision etc in the hope that conditions will improve.
play havoc with to cause a lot of damage to. The storm played havoc with the farmer's crops.
play into someone's hands to do exactly what an opponent or enemy wants one to do.
play off (in games) to play a final deciding game after a draw (noun ˈplay-off) play off against
to set (one person) against (another) in order to gain an advantage. He played his father off against his mother to get more pocket money.
play on to make use of (someone's feelings, fears etc). He played on my sympathy until I lent him $10.
play a/no part in (not) to be one of the people who are doing (something). He played no part in the robbery.
play safe to take no risks.
play the game to act fairly and honestly.
play up to be troublesome or disobedient. The children are playing up today.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.