litotes

Noun

Meaning

A diminution or softening of statement for the sake of avoiding censure or increasing the effect by contrast with the moderation shown in the form of expression; as, " a citizen of no mean city," that is, of an illustrious city.

Source: Webster's dictionary

Synonyms

meiosis simile distortion metaphor restraint apostrophe antithesis exaggeration euphemism hyperbole sarcasm oxymoron metonymy understatement miosis
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Antonyms

fidelity same fact oath difference contrast
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Hypernyms

understatement rhetorical device

Anagrams

sotilte Sottile toilets

Examples

Preachers at black churches are the last people left in the English-speaking world who know the schemes and tropes of classical rhetoric: parallelism, antithesis, epistrophe, synecdoche, metonymy, periphrasis, litotes - the whole bag of tricks. P. J. O'Rourke

saying `I was not a little upset' when you mean `I was very upset' is an example of litotes Source: Internet

Close letter words and terms

litorin litostomatid litote litotic litotical litotically