Meaning of water down | Babel Free

Definitions

1. To dilute with water; to add water to.
2. To make weaker, less effective.
   idiomatic
3. To simplify or oversimplify; to make easier; to make less difficult.
   idiomatic
4. To make less restrictive; to make more lenient.
   idiomatic

Equivalents

Examples

“You need to water down the lemonade a bit more to make it less sweet, dear.”

“"Scaling back its ambition further, at this stage, will just mean the economic and social benefit of HS2 for communities across the UK is further watered down. Our national infrastructure should not become a political football."”

“For example, Tory ministers are looking to water down key climate policies such as the ban on petrol and diesel cars by 2030, phasing out gas boilers by 2035, and low traffic neighbourhoods.”

“In Germany, a law that would have mandated citizens to install costly clean-energy heating systems from January 2024 nearly toppled the German governing coalition, with the Greens’ approval rating plummeting. It was then watered down to allow a longer phase-in time.”

“Near-synonym: dumb down”

“If you plan to teach this material to children, you may need to water it down.”

CEFR level