verb

trivialize

to make something seem less important than it is

Don't trivialize the problem; it's serious.

Don't trivialize the problem; it's serious.

((sth.)) to make (sth.) seem unimportant Don't trivialize the problem; it's serious.

Synonyms: downplay, belittle, minimize; Antonyms: exaggerate, magnify, emphasize

From Latin 'trivialis' meaning 'commonplace', from 'trivium', a place where three roads meet, a public place.

Think of making something 'trivial' (unimportant). The '-ize' suffix means 'to make', so it literally means 'to make trivial'.

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