What does the word understatement mean?
Understatement is a form of speech or disclosure which contains an expression of lesser strength than what would be expected. It is the opposite of an embellishment. The rhetorical form of understatement is litotes in which understatement is used for emphasis and irony.
What does, "that's an understatement" mean?
An understatement is a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is. For example, you win 10 million dollars in a lottery.
What are some examples of understatement?
Understatement
- Understatement Definition. An understatement is a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is.
- Common Understatement Examples. “Deserts are sometimes hot, dry, and sandy.” – Describing deserts of the world. ...
- Examples of Understatement in Literature. ...
- Function of Understatement. ...
What scenario is an example of understatement?
What scenario is an example of understatement? Explanation: Bone fractures are among the most painful injuries a person can suffer, but the word “sore” is used to refer to mild pain, as in “a sore throat”; it is, then, an understatement to describe the pain of a broken leg as “being sore.”
What is an example of an understatement?
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 does it mean to say it is an 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 are the 5 examples of understatement?
Common Understatement Examples “Deserts are sometimes hot, dry, and sandy.” – Describing deserts of the world. “He is not too thin.” – Describing an obese person. “It rained a bit more than usual.” – Describing an area being flooded by heavy rainfall.
What is another term for understatement?
In this page you can discover 18 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for understatement, like: less than the truth, modest statement, underestimate, overstatement, restrained statement, litotes, restraint, distortion, avoidance of overemphasis or exaggeration, belittlement and null.
What does love is an understatement mean?
To say you are special is an understatement. To say I love you is an understatement. When I met you, I was happy but not me. I was drained from my past relationship and from fighting. You came along and it was just so simple.
How do you use understated?
Understated sentence exampleEverything was perfect, yet understated. ... For a look that is sparkling, yet understated, seek dresses with contrasting waistbands. ... Perfect for someone who wants something unfussy and understated; this set still manages to come across as refined and attractive.More items...
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.
What's the difference between hyperbole and understatement?
Hyperbole is a figure of speech that makes something seem bigger or more important than it really is. It uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, emphasize a point, or evoke humor. Understatement is language that makes something seem less important than it really is.
What is understatement 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.
How do you use understatement in a sentence?
Examples of 'understatement' in a sentence understatementHe called it a postscript but he had always had a taste for understatement. ... she said, hitting the wrong note, making it sound like an understatement for his current situation. ... `She can be a bit of a snob sometimes,' Sally said with gross understatement.
What are the antonyms of understatement?
antonyms for understatementexaggeration.overstatement.
What is the synonym of hyperbole?
exaggeration, overstatement, magnification, amplification, embroidery, embellishment, overplaying, excess, overkill. informal purple prose, puffery. understatement.
What does "understatement" mean?
understatement. the act or an instance of understating, or representing in a weak or restrained way that is not borne out by the facts : The journalist wrote that the earthquake had caused some damage. This turned out to be a massive understatement of the devastation.
Is Jack Antonoff an understatement?
And considering his massive music-industry thumb print, that “you oughta know” Jack Antonoff is an understatement. To say that the past few years have been a watershed period of improvement for LGBT America is an understatement. To say that James Gunn is ecstatic is a vast understatement.
What is an understatement?
An understatement is a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is. For example, you win 10 million dollars in a lottery. When you tell a news reporter “ I am delighted,” you are making an understatement. Similarly, suppose a team loses ...
What is an understatement in response?
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. For instance, your friend returns your new coat with a large wine stain on the front of it.
Who wrote the understatement in Night's Dawn?
Example #4: Night’s Dawn Trilogy (By Peter F. Hamilton) Look at the understatement in Night ’s Dawn Trilogy written by Peter F. Hamilton: “I’ve always been a massive admirer of the Edenist ability to understate.
Is "It doesn't look too bad" an understatement?
Therefore, an understatement is opposite to another figure of speech, hyperbole, which is an overstatement.
What is the use of understatement?
Harcourt, 1950) "The use of understatement is something that satirists have a mastery of, but as a rhetorical device, we can use it to try to persuade someone by rewording a sentence in less offensive terms. For example, suppose we believe a person's idea to be in error and wish to point this out:
What is understatement in speech?
Definition. 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 understatement in irony?
Understatement is when you say something to intentionally downplay what you actually mean. It is the opposite of exaggeration, a more subtle way to communicate how you really feel. If verbal irony is saying the "opposite" of what you mean, understatement is simply saying "less" of what you mean.
What is the meaning of litotes in the context of understatement?
Sheehan also describes a sub-type of understatement called litotes, which is briefly defined as verbal irony that uses a double negative to describe a positive intent (e.g., "This hamburger isn't terrible!").
Understatement Examples
- Understatement appears all over the place. The examples below are taken from literature, film, and history. In each case, the use of understatementis highlighted in green.
Why Do Writers Use Understatement?
- A writer might use understatement for a number of different reasons: 1. When it's used ironically, understatement can be an effective way of creating humor and adding depth to a text. It can also serve to emphasize exactly the thing being understated, through the juxtaposition of the literal meaning and the actual meaning. 2. When it's used non-ironically, understatement can be a goo…
Other Helpful Understatement Resources
Understatement Definition
- An understatement is a figure of speech employed by writers or speakersto intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is. For example, you win 10 million dollars in a lottery. When you tell a news reporter “I amdelighted,” you are making an understatement. Similarly, suppose a team loses to its opponent 50 to 0 in a soccer mat...
Common Understatement Examples
- Let us try to understand understatement better with the help of some common examples of understatement used in daily conversations: 1. “Deserts are sometimes hot, dry, and sandy.” – Describing deserts of the world. 2. “He is not too thin.” – Describing an obese person. 3. “It rained a bit more than usual.” – Describing an area being flooded by heavy rainfall. 4. “It was O.K.” – Sai…
Examples of Understatement in Literature
- Example #1: Catcher in the Rye
In Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield says: Having a tumor in the brain is a serious issue, which has been understated in this excerpt. - Example #2: Emperor Mage
In Emperor Mage, a fantasy novelby Tamora Pierce, Daine states (as if she has done nothing wrong): This is an understatement that Daine makes, after raising an army of dinosaur skeletons to destroy the king and later, she destroys the imperial palace in order to avenge the death of he…
Function of Understatement
- An understatement is a tool that helps to develop other figures of speech, such as irony and sarcasm, by deliberately decreasing the severity of a situation, when an intense response is expected by the listenersor the readers.