misemphasize

Etymology

From mis- + emphasize.

misemphasize means to emphasize incorrectly or inappropriately. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

verb

To emphasize incorrectly or inappropriately.“But the widespread interest in intercollegiate debating and proper gratitude for what it has done to stimulate a study of the different forms of public discourse have led undergraduates, graduates, and even teachers, I think, greatly to misemphasize its importance in the field of study under discussion this morning — public discourse.”