Downtoners

Downtonersare words or phrases which reduce the force of another word or phrase. Downtoning is the opposite of emphasising. The most common downtoners are:

These downtoners are adverbs, and we use them to modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs:

I’ma little bitfed up with George – he’s so selfish.(less strong thanI’m fed up with George.)

I think he gotslightlyupset when we told him the news.

I wasbarely16 years old when I joined the army.

You’ll have to speak up. I canonly justhear you.

The city has changedsomewhatin the last ten years.(somewhatis more formal than the other words in the list.)