watered-down

American  

[waw-terd-doun, wot-erd-] / ˈwɔ tərdˈdaʊn, ˈwɒt ərd- /

adjective

1. made weaker or less effective from or as from dilution with water.

   a watered-down cocktail; Spectators saw a watered-down version of the famous opera.

---

Etymology

Origin of watered-down

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

A watered-down definition, meanwhile, could end up allowing certain ultraprocessed foods to fly under the radar, especially if food companies find a way to get around whatever UPF definition or label is proposed.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

The comments came before a meeting of EU environment ministers in Cyprus this week to review last November's UN climate summit, which ended with a watered-down pact that omitted EU demands over fossil fuels.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

There’s a bit of “Jaws” in “Beast of War,” which is also evocative of Hitchcock’s “Lifeboat” while being something of a watered-down version of both.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

Critics of the watered-down regulations, such as Anja Brandon, the director of plastics policy for the Ocean Conservancy, said she wasn’t surprised by the withdrawal.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

Percy realized that what he saw of Tartarus was only a watered-down version of its true horror—only what his demigod brain could handle.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan