understate
控えめに述べる
解説 Definition
事実や感情を実際よりも控えめに表現すること。誇張の反対。
To understate means to describe something as smaller, weaker, or less important than it really is. People often do this to sound modest, calm, or careful. It is common in formal writing and in polite conversation.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
まず対義語の overstate（大げさに言う）とセットで覚えると定着しやすい語です。state は「述べる」、under- が付くと「実際より下めに言う」ので、事実や感情を控えめに表す感覚になります。He understated the problem. なら「問題を軽く言いすぎた」。not to understate の形では「控えめに言っても〜だ」の含みも出ます。誇張ではなく、深刻さ・重要さを小さく見せる場面で使う語だと押さえると混同しにくいです。
Learn it together with `overstate`. `State` means to say something clearly, and `under-` gives the idea of saying it lower than reality. So `understate` means you say something in a weaker or smaller way than it really is. Think of `He understated the problem` as the opposite of exaggerating.
例文
He tends to understate his achievements out of modesty.
彼は謙虚さから自分の功績を控えめに述べる傾向がある。
The report understated the true extent of the environmental damage.
その報告書は環境被害の本当の規模を控えめに述べていた。
It would be difficult to understate the importance of this discovery.
この発見の重要性を控えめに言うのは難しいだろう。
understate の類義語・関連語
understate の語源・成り立ち Etymology
understate は under「下に・不足して」+ state「述べる」から成る語で、state は古フランス語を経てラテン語 status「立場・状態」に由来する。事実を“下めに置いて言う”感覚から「控えめに述べる」となり、関連語に overstate, statement がある。
Understate is built from under and state. State came into English through Old French from Latin status, meaning "condition" or "position." The idea was to state something at a lower level than the facts, so it came to mean speaking too mildly or making something seem less important. Related words include overstate and statement.
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