Grammar fix
make light of
treat lightly
To treat a serious or difficult situation as if it were not important, sometimes by joking about it.
How oftenCommon
LevelB2
Used inSpeech & writing
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
He made light of his injury, but he was clearly in a lot of pain.
I sometimes make light of stressful situations to relax, although my friends occasionally tell me I am joking at the wrong time.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: She made light the problem.
Say: She made light of the problem.
The phrase always uses 'of' before the thing being treated as unimportant.
Don't confuse it
Other ways to say it
Make something seem less serious
How dismissiveUnderstateTreat lightly
downplayOne-word form of play down; common in news and writing.play downPresent a problem or event as less serious or important.
make light ofYou're here · Treat something serious as unimportant, sometimes through humour.