litotes

li·to·tes  (lt-tz, lt-, l-ttz)

n. pl. litotes

A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite, as in This is no small problem.

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[Greek ltots, from ltos, plain; see lei- in Indo-European roots.]

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litotes [ˈlaɪtəʊˌtiːz]

n pl -tes

(Literature / Rhetoric) understatement for rhetorical effect, esp when achieved by using negation with a term in place of using an antonym of that term, as in ``She was not a little upset'' for ``She was extremely upset.''

[from Greek, from litos small]

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litotes

an understatement, especially one in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary, as in “it’s not unpleasant.”

See also: Rhetoric and Rhetorical Devices

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litotes - From Greek litos, "simple, single," it refers to an ironical understatement (e.g. no small amount) or two negatives used to make a positive (e.g. it was not unsuccessful); it is pronounced lie-TOH-teez, LEYED-uh-teez, LID-uh-teez, or leye-TOHD-eez.

See also related terms for positive.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

litotes - understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary); "saying `I was not a little upset' when you mean `I was very upset' is an example of litotes" meiosis understatement - a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said rhetorical device - a use of language that creates a literary effect (but often without regard for literal significance)

Translations

litotes

n → Litotes f