Litotes
A figure of speech employing deliberate understatement, often achieved by negating the opposite. Litotes creates emphasis or irony through restraint rather than exaggeration, saying less than is meant.
Real World
In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Mr Bennet describes Wickham as 'not a very promising young man' after he elopes with Lydia — a masterful understatement that reveals his dry wit amid family crisis.
Exam Focus
Identify the negated opposite structure ('not un-', 'no small') and explain whether the understatement creates irony, humour, or restraint.
How well did you know this?