Underemphasizer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Someone or something that gives less stress or prominence to a point than it deserves, so the matter receives too little attention
2. A person or thing that plays down an idea, fact, or element, presenting it as less important or noticeable than it really is
3. Anything that understates or downplays a feature, message, or issue, causing it to be perceived as weaker or less significant

Etymology: Built from three parts, this noun names a person or thing that gives too little stress to something. The prefix "under-" is native English, from Old English, and here means "too little" or "beneath the proper level," as in "undercook" or "underestimate." The core, "emphasize," comes from "emphasis," a Greek term meaning an outward show or significance. That word was formed from "emphainein," "to show in" or "to indicate," which combines "en-" (in) and "phainein" (to show, make appear). It passed into Latin and then English, where it came to mean giving special force to something in speech or writing. The ending "-er" is the Old English agent suffix "-ere," which marks someone or something that performs an action. An underemphasizer is therefore literally one that shows something too faintly. The word is a transparent compound, with each part keeping its ordinary sense and no sound change or shift in meaning.