Litotes
- “what is litotes”
- “litotes examples”
- “litotes vs understatement”
- “not bad meaning”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Litotes | Understatement |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | Negate the opposite | Diminish directly |
| Requires negation | Yes | No |
| Reader does work | Yes | Less |
| 'Not bad' | This one | — |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Litotes rather than Understatement are usually searching for phrases like “what is litotes”, “litotes examples”, “litotes vs understatement”.
03 · The mix-up
Where the confusion comes from
The mix-up“Litotes is just understatement.”
What's true
It is understatement by a specific mechanism: DENYING THE OPPOSITE. 'It was a bit chilly' in a blizzard is understatement. 'It was not warm' is litotes. In modern English usage the negation is the device; without it you have plain understatement instead.
04 · Read either one