underplay
verb [ T ] uk/ˌʌn.dəˈpleɪ/ us/ˌʌn.dɚˈpleɪ/
低调处理;对…轻描淡写;贬低…的重要性
to make something such as a dangerous situation seem less important or dangerous than it really is
While not wanting to underplay the seriousness of the situation, I have to say that it is not as bad as people seem to think. 尽管我并不想低估形势的严重性，但还是不得不说事情并不像人们想象的那么糟糕。