watered-down
11
4.6
- adjective
- /ˈwɔːtərd daʊn/
- Informal
- Without these skills, too many people can succumb to watered-down or completely false information.
- a watered-down version
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Watch on YouTubeThey just took Plato and they got his thoughts through these, you know, watered down glosses on him.
- They just took Plato and they got his thoughts through these, you know, watered down glosses on him.
- Now watered down like this, this is way too ashy to be a skin color.
- The church is very watered down and it, it, it's, it's like it's designed for women.
- Stop telling yourself little watered down assessments of where you're really at.
- But you continue to get on Fox News and feed the rubes this bullshit, watered down authoritarian word salad.
- Is this liberation or is this just, you know, kind of shifting from, you know, Lenin to Stalin in a in a very watered down way?
Examples
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The bill you are speaking of was a watered-down version of the original one proposed.
Blog text (14) -
The company released a watered-down version of the original product to appeal to a broader audience.
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What they offer is access to a watered down program.
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Courses in social studies have generally been watered-down counterparts of college courses.
Academic text (1995) -
Thankfully, this is a watered-down version of the stance some religions take.
Academic text (2010) -
Other efforts to limit vehicular pollution were either slowed or watered down to the point of being ineffective.
Academic text (2005) -
Typically, many of the high-style Craftsman earmarks are watered down or missing entirely.
Academic text (1998) -
As Bestor saw it, the original principles and practices of Deweyan progressivism had been watered down.
Academic text (1990) -
Many people believe that the new regulations are just watered-down measures that won’t bring real change.
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Critics argue that the new proposal is a watered-down attempt to address climate change without any significant impact.
Synonyms
53
4.4
Smaller in size, strength or importance
18
3.4
Made less strong by mixing with water or something else
1
3.1
Less strong because water or another liquid is added
Antonyms
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
watered-down = water down (transparent) = down + water + ed
Formed from the phrasal verb 'water down' plus '-ed' to create an adjectival meaning 'made weaker', which is directly inferable from the base.
Etymology
Watered-down comes from the simple idea of adding water to a strong drink, paint, or idea to make it weaker, with down showing a reduction. So a watered-down statement or policy is one that has been made 'less strong' or 'less effective'.