Make light of

Meaning

The idiom "make light of" means to treat something lightly or unimportant, often by minimizing its seriousness or importance. It can also mean to belittle or ridicule someone or something. The figurative meaning is to mock or dismiss someone or something in a derogatory way.

Usage

• She made light of his accomplishments, saying they were nothing compared to hers.
• He made light of her feelings when she expressed her concerns about the project.
• The movie made light of serious issues like racism and homophobia.
• The politician made light of the opposition's proposals during the debate.
• She made light of his mistakes, saying they were just learning experiences.

Roots and History

The idiom "make light of" has been used in English since at least the 16th century. It originally meant to treat something lightly or unimportant by not taking it seriously. Over time, the meaning has evolved to include belittling or ridiculing someone or something in a derogatory way. The idiom is widely used in contemporary language and has no known regional variations.

Synonyms in English

• Trivialize
• Minimize
• Dismiss
• Disregard
• Neglect

Synonyms in other languages

• 不重视 (bù zhèngyǐ) - Mandarin
• דורן נטשתן (dūrən nəshətn) - Hebrew
• מתפּלה כל־יךום (metpulah kel-yikhsun) - Hebrew
• לא נשׁבועת (lea nashbuat) - Hebrew
• דורן נטשתן פסולה גיוזלה (dūrən nəshëtn pesulah gyozelh) - Hebrew

Similar Idioms

• made it

• make ends meet

• fall between the cracks