About 32,000 results
Open links in new tab
  1. Litotes - Examples and Definition of Litotes - Literary Devices

    Litotes (pronounced lie-toe-tees) is a figure of speech in which understatement is used for rhetorical effect. It involves stating a positive affirmation by negating its contrary.

  2. Litotes - Wikipedia

    Litotes can be used to establish ethos, or credibility, by expressing modesty or downplaying one's accomplishments to gain the audience's favor. In the book Rhetorica ad Herennium, litotes is …

  3. What Is Litotes? | Definition & Examples - Scribbr

    Dec 4, 2024 · Litotes is a form of understatement and allows speakers to downplay a situation or use a modest or subtle tone. For example, saying “I’m not an expert, but I know a little bit,” humbly …

  4. LITOTES Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

    The meaning of LITOTES is understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary (as in 'not a bad singer' or 'not unhappy'). Litotes Probably Pop Up in Your Everyday Speech.

  5. 24 Litotes Examples in Literature & Pop Culture (+ Definition)

    Oct 10, 2024 · Litotes (pronounced lie-tuh-teez) is a figure of speech used to express an affirmative by denying its opposite. It requires the use of a negative word and an understatement.

  6. What is Litotes? Definition, Examples of Figure of Speech

    Litotes is a type of understatement that uses negative words to express the contrary. Litotes is a way to state the affirmative without actually stating the affirmative.

  7. Litotes | Understatement, Irony, Paradox | Britannica

    litotes, a figure of speech, conscious understatement in which emphasis is achieved by negation; examples are the common expressions “not bad!” and “no mean feat.”