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litotesenUK
li·to·tes L0203000 (lī′tə-tēz′, lĭt′ə-, lī-tō′tēz)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. [Greek lītotēs, from lītos, plain; see lei- in Indo-European roots.]litotes (ˈlaɪtəʊˌtiːz) n, pl -tes (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".[C17: from Greek, from litos small]li•to•tes (ˈlaɪ təˌtiz, ˈlɪt ə-, laɪˈtoʊ tiz) n., pl. -tes. understatement, esp. that in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary, as in “not bad at all.” Compare hyperbole. [1650–60; < New Latin < Greek lītótēs orig., plainness, simplicity, derivative of lītós plain, meager] 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.litotesan 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 Deviceslitotes1. Deliberate understatement or negation of the contrary in order to achieve an effect, such as in “not a little tired” instead of “very tired.”2. Assertion of a positive by denying its negative, often in the form of a deliberate understatement for effect.ThesaurusNoun | 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"meiosisunderstatement - a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been saidrhetorical device - a use of language that creates a literary effect (but often without regard for literal significance) | TranslationslitotesenUK
litotes (lī`tətēz'), figure of speech in which a statement is made by indicating the negative of its opposite, e.g., "not many" meaning "a few." A form of ironyirony, figure of speech in which what is stated is not what is meant. The user of irony assumes that his reader or listener understands the concealed meaning of his statement. ..... Click the link for more information. , litotes is meant to emphasize by understating. Its opposite is hyperbolehyperbole , a figure of speech in which exceptional exaggeration is deliberately used for emphasis rather than deception. Andrew Marvell employed hyperbole throughout "To His Coy Mistress": An hundred years should go to praise
..... Click the link for more information. .Litotes (1) The literary device of understatement, the opposite of hyperbole, used to intensify the descriptiveness and expressiveness of speech. Litotes involves the juxtaposition of two heterogeneous elements based on a common feature that is represented to a much lesser degree in the means of comparison than in the object of comparison. Examples include “a little man the size of a thumbnail” (N. A. Nekrasov), “a waist no thicker than a bottleneck” (N. V. Gogol), “the speed of a tortoise,” and “within arm’s reach.” Structurally, a litotes may take the form of a simile, metaphor, or epithet. A considerable number of turns of speech representing litotes are idiomatic (“money squeezed from a cat’s tears”). (2) The replacement of an affirmative description with a negation of the contrary—for example, “not stupid” instead of “clever” or “I don’t object” instead of “I agree.” litotesenUK
Synonyms for litotesnoun understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)SynonymsRelated Words- understatement
- rhetorical device
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