litotes
Meanings
Plural: litotes
Noun
- 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"
- A figure of speech whereby something is stated by denying its opposite, particularly the negation of a negative quality to say something positive.
Origin / Etymology
Learned borrowing from Late Latin lītotēs, from Ancient Greek λιτότης (litótēs, literally “plainness”), from λιτός (litós, “simple”).
Synonyms
Antonyms
Scrabble Score: 7
litotes is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordlitotes is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
litotes is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary
Words With Friends Score: 8
litotes is a valid Words With Friends word