强调通过语言或行为减少某事物的关注度、严重性或价值，避免其被过度重视。
直接接宾语（名词/代词）：`play down + 宾语`
（宾语可前置，即 `play + 宾语 + down`，但更常见的是宾语后置）
被动语态：`sth. be played down`（某事物被淡化/贬低）
以下是高频场景的例子，帮助理解具体用法：
The government tried to play down the risk of a new virus outbreak.
（政府试图淡化新病毒爆发的风险。）
The company has been playing down rumors of massive layoffs.
（公司一直在淡化大规模裁员的谣言。）
She always plays down her achievements—she’s too modest.
（她总是轻描淡写自己的成就——太谦虚了。）
Don’t play down my feelings—I’m really hurt by what you said.
（别贬低我的感受——你说的话真的伤害了我。）
The coach played down the team’s loss, saying it was just a bad day.
（教练淡化了球队的失利，说只是“运气不好的一天”。）
The media played down the celebrity’s scandal to avoid controversy.
（媒体轻描淡写这位名人的丑闻，避免引发争议。）
The severity of the accident was played down by the authorities.
（当局淡化了事故的严重性。）
同义词：`downplay`（动词，更简洁，用法一致，如：He downplayed his role in the project.）、`underplay`（更正式，侧重“弱化表现”，如：The actor underplayed the villain’s cruelty.）
反义词：`play up`（强调；大肆渲染，如：The media played up the politician’s mistake. 媒体大肆渲染政客的错误。）
play down to sb.：是独立短语，意为“迎合（某人的低级趣味）”（≠ play down），如：He never plays down to his audience—he respects their intelligence.（他从不对观众谄媚，尊重他们的智商。）