释义 |
Definition of litotes in English: litotesnoun lʌɪˈtəʊtiːz mass nounIronic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (e.g. I shan't be sorry for I shall be glad). Example sentencesExamples - Yet this definition fails to explain instances of litotes, or understatement, which is often classified as a kind of irony.
- The manager, a man adept in the use of litotes, said: ‘It wasn't the best game of pure football in the world.‘
- Next thing you know, they'll be using dramatic irony, metaphor, bathos, puns, parody, litotes and… satire.
- First one must register his anti-Idealism, his antipathy toward the idea becoming metonymical litotes for such.
- But, if we follow Schwarzbach, Dickens's description of the street mire in Holborn is, if anything, understated - ‘mud’ is not hyperbole, but litotes.
Synonyms minimization, trivialization, euphemism
Origin Late 16th century: via late Latin from Greek litotēs, from litos 'plain, meagre'. Definition of litotes in US English: litotesnoun Ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (e.g., you won't be sorry, meaning you'll be glad). Example sentencesExamples - But, if we follow Schwarzbach, Dickens's description of the street mire in Holborn is, if anything, understated - ‘mud’ is not hyperbole, but litotes.
- First one must register his anti-Idealism, his antipathy toward the idea becoming metonymical litotes for such.
- Next thing you know, they'll be using dramatic irony, metaphor, bathos, puns, parody, litotes and… satire.
- Yet this definition fails to explain instances of litotes, or understatement, which is often classified as a kind of irony.
- The manager, a man adept in the use of litotes, said: ‘It wasn't the best game of pure football in the world.‘
Synonyms minimization, trivialization, euphemism
Origin Late 16th century: via late Latin from Greek litotēs, from litos ‘plain, meager’. |