Direct Opposites:
* De-emphasize: To reduce the importance or prominence of something.
* Downplay: To make something seem less important or significant.
* Minimize: To reduce something in size or importance.
* Ignore: To pay no attention to something.
* Neglect: To fail to give proper attention to something.
Less Direct Opposites (depending on the context):
* Understate: To present something as less important or significant than it actually is.
* Play down: To make something seem less important or serious.
* Obscure: To make something difficult to understand or see.
* Disregard: To pay no attention to something.
* Overlook: To fail to notice something.
Example:
Emphasis: "The speaker emphasized the importance of education."
Opposite: "The speaker played down the importance of education."
The best opposite will depend on the specific meaning and context of the sentence you're using.