What does it mean when someone says 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. I was completely blindsided ….—
What is an example of 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.
Is an understatement a bad thing?
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishun‧der‧state‧ment /ˌʌndəˈsteɪtmənt $ -dər-/ ●○○ noun 1 [countable] a statement that is not strong enough to express how good, bad, impressive etc something really is To say the movie was bad is an understatement. ‘It wasn’t very easy to find the house.
What does not understatement mean?
(ʌndərsteɪtmənt ) Word forms: understatements. countable noun. If you say that a statement is an understatement, you mean that it does not fully express the extent to which something is true.
Is a bit of an understatement?
You can describe what someone says as something of an understatement or a bit of an understatement to indicate that you actually think it is quite a big understatement: To say her life had been colourful would be something of an understatement.
What is the difference between understatement and overstatement?
As nouns the difference between overstatement and understatement. is that overstatement is an exaggeration; a statement in excess of what is reasonable while understatement is a disclosure or statement that is less than complete.
What is the purpose of understatement?
By definition, an understatement is when you represent something as less than what it is. This can be done in writing or in speech. When you make an understatement, the issue at hand is minimalized or made to seem less important or severe. This can be done for an ironic effect or simply to be polite.
How do you use the word understatement?
Understatement in a Sentence 🔉
- Saying he had gained a little weight was an understatement since he had put on thirty just last month.
- To say that getting a home loan with bad credit is a small challenge would be a huge understatement.
- Calling the affair a small mistake was an understatement the man’s wife would resent.
What is ironic understatement?
Most of the time when people refer to understatement, they’re referring to ironic understatement, which just means that the speaker is using understatement to say one thing with the intention of actually communicating something quite different.
What’s another word for Understandment?
What is another word for understandment?
| belief | impression |
|---|---|
| inkling | judgementUK |
| judgmentUS | knowledge |
| opinion | sense |
| view | notion |
What is the synonym of understatement?
In this page you can discover 18 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for understatement, like: modest statement, less than the truth, overstatement, underestimate, belittlement, underestimation, restrained statement, litotes, restraint, avoidance of overemphasis or exaggeration and …
What does a bit of an understatement mean?
1 n-count If you say that a statement is an understatement, you mean that it does not fully express the extent to which something is true. 2 n-uncount Understatement is the practice of suggesting that things have much less of a particular quality than they really have.
What is the purpose of an understatement?
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 listeners or the readers.
What are the examples of understatement?
In the middle of an intense thunderstorm: “We’re having a little rain.”
What does understatement mean?
Definition of 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 does understatement mean in poetry?
An understatements is a common figure of speech. It can be used in literature, poetry, song and daily speech. Making an understatement minimizes the severity of a situation, draws in the reader and can be used to make others feel better. An understatements can also add a touch of humor to something quite serious.