"play small" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "plays small",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "playing small",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played small",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played small",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "play small (third-person singular simple present plays small, present participle playing small, simple past and past participle played small)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "play big"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Near-synonym: play it safe"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To play for low stakes; to aim low; to be unwilling to take risks; to be fearful."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_small-en-verb-583Y6IQi",
      "links": [
        [
          "low",
          "low"
        ],
        [
          "stake",
          "stake"
        ],
        [
          "aim low",
          "aim low"
        ],
        [
          "risk",
          "risk"
        ],
        [
          "fearful",
          "fearful"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) To play for low stakes; to aim low; to be unwilling to take risks; to be fearful."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "think small"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "pelata pienellä panoksella"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "jouer petit bas"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "mierzyć nisko"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "play small"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "plays small",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "playing small",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played small",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played small",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "play small (third-person singular simple present plays small, present participle playing small, simple past and past participle played small)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "think small"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "play big"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English verbs",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Translation table header lacks gloss"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Near-synonym: play it safe"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To play for low stakes; to aim low; to be unwilling to take risks; to be fearful."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "low",
          "low"
        ],
        [
          "stake",
          "stake"
        ],
        [
          "aim low",
          "aim low"
        ],
        [
          "risk",
          "risk"
        ],
        [
          "fearful",
          "fearful"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) To play for low stakes; to aim low; to be unwilling to take risks; to be fearful."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "pelata pienellä panoksella"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "jouer petit bas"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "mierzyć nisko"
    }
  ],
  "word": "play small"
}