What does litotes mean?
Litotes is the deliberate use of understatement, especially by negating the opposite of what the speaker means. Saying that something is “not bad,” “not without charm,” or “not exactly easy” can imply a stronger assessment than the literal wording suggests. The device is often humorous or ironic: the restrained expression may convey admiration, criticism, or opposition while appearing modest and cautious. Litotes is associated with classical rhetoric and is frequently discussed alongside hyperbole, which creates emphasis through exaggeration. Although it can occur naturally in ordinary speech, the word itself is mainly used in literary, rhetorical, and critical contexts. Its force comes from the contrast between what is said and what is intended, making it a precise term for understatement that is created through deliberate negation rather than simple qualification.
nounLitotes is a figure of speech in which a statement is deliberately understated by negating the contrary of what is intended, often for emphasis or irony.
- A rhetorical device in which an understatement is expressed through negation of the opposite, sometimes creating irony or emphasis.
"When the acclaimed novel was described as 'not without a few flaws,' the critic was using litotes to suggest that it was substantially flawed."
"Her description of the difficult journey as 'not exactly a walk in the park' was classic litotes."
"The essay praised the composer's technique by saying that it was 'not without its charms.'"
The form is generally used as a singular or mass noun, though plural usage is grammatically possible in discussions of different examples.
"The lecturer identified several litotes in the passage."
A phrase like 'not bad' can quietly mean 'excellent' when understatement is doing the work of praise.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does litotes come from?
The word comes from Ancient Greek lítos, meaning “meager” or “scanty,” and the related Greek noun litótēs, meaning “meagreness” or “smallness.” The rhetorical sense developed from the idea of expressing something in a reduced or understated form. The modern English term was adopted through Latin and scholarly usage in discussions of classical figures of speech.
How litotes is actually used
The term is primarily used in literary criticism, rhetoric, and formal discussion of figurative language. It is especially associated with understatement and irony, and may appear in discussions of ancient rhetoric.