water down — weaken (figurative, especially ideas, statements, or policies)
to make something such as a statement, policy, or idea less forceful, direct, or effective, often to make it more acceptable or less likely to cause disagreement
Say it like a native
Textbook The committee diluted the proposal to render it more palatable.
Native They watered down the proposal to get it through.
'Water down' is the idiomatic verb for weakening a policy or statement; 'diluted to render palatable' is formal.
Pattern: water down + noun (statement/policy/idea/report/proposal)
In use
- The committee decided to water down the original proposal to avoid upsetting anyone.work
- In my opinion, if the government waters down environmental regulations, it could have serious long-term consequences.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The law was watered up after lobbying.
✓ The law was watered down after lobbying.
It's 'water DOWN' (weaken), never 'water up'.
Common collocations
water down + content— the proposal, the rules, the message, the report
Don't confuse it
This sense is figurative and refers to weakening the impact or strength of something abstract, like a policy or statement. It does not mean literally adding water to a liquid.