understatement

UK /ˌʌndəˈsteɪtmənt/ US /ˌʌndɚˈsteɪtmənt/

noun 3

Collocations

(noun.)

ADJ

gross

Saying the movie was bad would be a gross understatement of how terrible it actually was.

PHRASES

a bit of/something of an understatement, the understatement of the year

Saying the exam was difficult is something of an understatement—it was nearly impossible.

Definitions

noun

A figure of speech whereby something is made to seem smaller or less important than it actually is, either through phrasing or lack of emphasis, often for ironic effect.

A master of understatement

And that mode of expression is very demurring and self-deprecating. Victorian English was all about understatement.

An instance of such phrasing or lack of emphasis; an incomplete statement.

Now that's an understatement.

An incomplete disclosure that intentionally withholds relevant information.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

Example Bank

A master of understatement

Wiktionary

And that mode of expression is very demurring and self-deprecating. Victorian English was all about understatement.

Wiktionary

Now that's an understatement.

Wiktionary

That's an understatement!

Tatoeba · #593736

That's an understatement.

Tatoeba · #2251057

That's something of an understatement.

Tatoeba · #2883969

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