water down
1 of 1verb/ˈwɔtər daʊn/
Forms:waters down,watering down,watered down,watered down
1
to make something such as a law, suggestion, etc. less intense, complicated, or forceful, typically by removing or reducing certain parts of it
transitive- The initial draft of the bill aimed to impose strict environmental regulations, but it was watered down after pressure from industry lobbyists.
- The company's ambitious expansion plans were watered down to focus on more achievable short-term goals.
- The teacher explained complex topics without watering the material down for the students.
- The new safety guidelines for construction sites were watered down to accommodate the concerns of contractors, despite objections from workers' unions.
- The school's dress code policy was watered down to allow for more leniency in students' attire after receiving complaints from parents.
2
to make something less strong by adding water to it
transitive- The chef had to water down the sauce to balance the flavors.
- The instructions suggest not to water the fertilizer down too much.
- When making lemonade, it's common to water the concentrate down.
- The bartender will water the cocktail down if you prefer a milder taste.
- Can you water down the juice for the kids?
3
to weaken the effectiveness of something such as an idea, opinion, speech, etc., usually by softening the language or removing content that might upset or offend people
transitive- The movie's original ending was too intense, so they decided to water it down to make it more suitable for a wider audience.
- The politician's speech was watered down to avoid offending any potential voters, resulting in a vague and uninspiring message.
- The company's environmental report was watered down to downplay their impact on the local ecosystem, raising concerns among environmental activists.
- The politician was accused of attempting to water public discourse down to gain popularity.
- The journalist aimed to report the news truthfully without watering down its significance.