water down - Definition & Meaning

water down

Third Person

waters down

Present Participle

watering down

Past Tense

watered down

Past Participle

watered down

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.

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?

Synonyms:

dilute thin thin out

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.