make light of

M

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

1. You need to stop making light of this situation. You could be in serious trouble.
2. I wish you would stop trying to make light of your injury. The doctor says that you will need surgery.
3. 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.
4. Even though they are in serious financial difficulty he will still try to make light of everything.
5. 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 has been 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.

About the Author

Elena Jones holds a PhD in Education from Harvard University. She has extensive experience teaching at both the K–12 and university levels, with a particular focus on English as a Second Language. Elena has dedicated her career to advancing educational practices, and she has contributed to numerous educational journals.

Biblical, Ignore, Light