desalinate; weaken; play down
Meanings
3 senses · 6 examplesverb
to desalinate; to remove salt (from water)
technicalA technical term commonly used in environmental science, engineering, and resource management.
This country plans to desalinate seawater to solve the freshwater shortage problem.
Brackish water can be made drinkable after desalination treatment.
verb
to fade; to weaken; to become less important or intense
Used metaphorically for emotions, relationships, concepts, or conflicts losing their intensity or significance over time.
As time passed, the hostility between them gradually faded.
The concept of family has weakened somewhat in modern society.
verb
to downplay; to play down; to de-emphasize
Used when someone intentionally reduces the importance, intensity, or visibility of something.
The director downplayed the violent scenes in the movie.
To maintain stability, the government tried to play down the severity of this crisis.