You are out to dinner with a friend who spills food down the front of her white shirt. A polite understatement would be: “Really, it’s hardly noticeable.” You get the highest grade in the class. A modest understatement would be: “I did OK on that test.”
What is understatement in a sentence?
If you say that a statement is an understatement, you mean that it does not fully express the extent to which something is true. To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. Synonyms: euphemism, trivialization More Synonyms of understatement.
What is the meaning for understatement?
1 : a statement that represents something as smaller or less intense, or less important than it really is : a statement that understates something To say that I was surprised by this outcome would be an understatement.
What is a understatement in figure of speech?
Understatement is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is. Contrast with hyperbole.
What is the example of litotes?
In truth, a litotes will use irony to emphasize an idea without minimizing its importance. For example, a friend might expect her roommate to talk about someone who’s obviously wealthy by saying, “He’s filthy rich.” However, when she comes out and says, “Well, he’s not exactly a pauper,” it’s a little unexpected.
What does happy is an understatement mean?
[countable] a statement that makes something seem less important, impressive, serious, etc. than it really is. To say we were pleased is an understatement (= we were extremely pleased).
What is the effect of understatement?
An understatement usually has an ironic effect, as an equally intense response is expected in severe situations, but the statement in response is the opposite of what was expected.
What does understatement mean in literature?
Understatement is the description of something as having much less of a particular quality than it does. That often involves representing something as less important, less valuable, or smaller than it is. Understatement is the opposite of hyperbole, the term that Professor Elena Passarello explains in her video.
What does alliteration mean in English?
Definition of alliteration
: the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables (such as wild and woolly, threatening throngs) — called also head rhyme, initial rhyme.
What does understated mean in accounting?
(Accounting: Financial statements) If an account or a figure on an account is understated, the amount that is reported on the financial statement is less than it should be.
Is understatement a form of irony?
Understatement is a type of verbal irony that turns language into an opportunity to say a lot with a little. Mastering this type of verbal irony is a great tool for any writer looking to bring sophistication and nuance to their dialogue.
What are the types of understatement?
There are two main types of understatement: ironic understatement and, well, non-ironic understatement. In order to fully understand understatement in all its forms, it’s important to have a good grasp of these two different ways of using it.
Are double negatives litotes?
In English we’ve given the use of a double negative a fancy name – a litotes. A litotes by definition is a form of understatement for emphasis through the use of a double negative. Instead of saying, for instance, that the weather is good today, one would employ a litotes by saying that the weather isn’t bad today.
How do you make litotes?
Litotes
Litotes is pretty simple in the way it works: instead of stating something directly, you state that the contrary statement is not true.Typically, the contrary statement will be phrased as some sort of superlative (for example, “he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed”).
Is climax a figure of speech?
In rhetoric, a climax (Greek: κλῖμαξ, klîmax, lit. “staircase” or “ladder”) is a figure of speech in which words, phrases, or clauses are arranged in order of increasing importance.
