understatement
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
NounEdit
understatement (usually uncountable, plural understatements)
- An incomplete statement, particularly:
- (uncountable, rhetoric) A figure of speech whereby something is made to seem smaller or less important than it actually is, either through phrasing or lack of emphasis, often for ironic effect; meiosis.
- A master of understatement
- An instance of such phrasing or lack of emphasis.
- Now that's an understatement.
- An incomplete disclosure that intentionally withholds relevant information.
- (uncountable, rhetoric) A figure of speech whereby something is made to seem smaller or less important than it actually is, either through phrasing or lack of emphasis, often for ironic effect; meiosis.
SynonymsEdit
- (rhetorical device): meiosis
AntonymsEdit
- (generally): overstatement
- (rhetorical device): See hyperbole
HyponymsEdit
- (rhetorical device, stating something by denying its opposite): litotes
- (instance of its use, extreme brevity): laconism
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
Statement less than complete
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DutchEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from English understatement.
PronunciationEdit
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: un‧der‧state‧ment
NounEdit
understatement n (plural understatements)