Meaning
play down
- to make something seem less serious
- to reduce tension with humor or calm words
In a sentence
Ha cercato di sdrammatizzare l'errore con una battuta.
He tried to play down the mistake with a joke.
Sai sdrammatizzare quando tutti sono nervosi?
Can you lighten things when everyone is nervous?
Non voglio sdrammatizzare un problema così serio.
I don't want to play down such a serious problem.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| sdrammatizzare | infinitive |
| sdrammatizzo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizza | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizziamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzerò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzerai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzerà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzeremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzerete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzeranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzi | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzi | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizziamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| sdrammatizziate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzerei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzeresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzerebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizzeremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzerebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sdrammatizza | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizziamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| sdrammatizzate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| sdrammatizzando | gerund |
| sdrammatizzato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Often used in conversations: sdrammatizzare una situazione, un problema, un errore.
- Close to minimizzare, but sdrammatizzare stresses reducing drama or tension.
- Can be transitive or absolute: Ha cercato di sdrammatizzare.