make light of
make light of
Meaning | Synonyms
- to treat something as if it isn't important
- to make a joke of something that should be treated seriously
- to downplay something
- to ignore or neglect
- pay no attention to
Example Sentences
- You need to stop making light of this situation. You could be in serious trouble.
- I wish you would stop trying to make light of your injury. The doctor says that you will need surgery.
- Stop trying to make light of the future. Our company is in real trouble and we will need to make some serious changes going forward.
- Even though they are in serious financial difficulty he will still try to make light of everything.
- The president tried to make light of the allegations but the reporters weren't letting him off the hook.
Origin
To make light of something hasbeen used to describe a situation that is seen as unimportant since the 1500s.
One of the first recorded uses of the phrase can be traced back to William Tyndale's 1526 Bible translation:
“They made light of it and went their ways.”
As this is only a translation and is open to interpretation it is possible that the phrase was used earlier than that.