svalutare

to devalue

verb zvah-loo-TAH-reh Rare

Origin: From s- (privative prefix) + valutare ('to value'), from valore ('value').

Also means

to undervalue

Usage Note

Svalutare is used both in economics (to devalue a currency: svalutare la lira) and figuratively (to belittle someone's work or worth: svalutare se stessi = 'to sell oneself short'). It takes avere as its auxiliary. The reflexive svalutarsi ('to undervalue oneself') is common in psychological and self-help discourse.

Examples

"Non svalutare il tuo lavoro: vale molto."

Natural Translation

Don't undervalue your work — it's worth a lot.

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