Is Litote a figurative language?
Litotes, the Greek word for “simple,” is a member of the figurative language family tree. Since it’s not an English word, don’t be fooled by the fact that it ends in S. A litotes is a roundabout way of saying something, using the opposite of your intended meaning to illustrate what you’re trying to say.
Is negation a figure of speech?
Litotes is a figure of speech featuring a phrase that utilizes negative wording or terms to express a positive assertion or statement. As a figure of speech, the meaning of litotes is not literal. Instead, litotes is intended to be a form of understatement by using negation to express the contrary meaning.
What is the meaning of Litote in literature?
understatement
Definition of litotes : understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary (as in “not a bad singer” or “not unhappy”)
What is an example of a Litote in Beowulf?
litotes examples For example, rather than saying a character is “stupid”, they may say a character is “not the sharpest tool in the shed.” In the Old English epic poem Beowulf, litotes is used to affirm Beowulf’s ability to wield the sword.
What is Periphrasis and examples?
Periphrasis is the use of more words to say something than are necessary. An example of periphrasis is someone saying they believe they are able to attend an event, rather than just saying “yes, I’ll be there.”
What is understatement in figure of speech and examples?
An understatement is a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is. For example, you win 10 million dollars in a lottery. When you tell a news reporter “I am delighted,” you are making an understatement.
What is understatement as a figure of speech?
Understatement is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is. Contrast with hyperbole.
What are some examples of anaphora?
Here’s a quick and simple definition: Anaphora is a figure of speech in which words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. For example, Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech contains anaphora: “So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
What is the meaning of the figure of speech litotes?
Litotes is a figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite.
What is an example of a figure of speech?
Definition, Examples of Figure of Speech. Litotes definition: Litotes is a literary term for a figure of speech that uses negative terms to express a positive statement. Litotes is a figure of speech. Its meaning is not intended to be taken literally.
What is the meaning of litotes?
Litotes Definition. Litotes is a figure of speech and a form of understatement in which a sentiment is expressed ironically by negating its contrary. For example, saying “It’s not the best weather today” during a hurricane would be an example of litotes, implying through ironic understatement that the weather is, in fact,…
What are some examples of litotes from daily conversations?
Below are a few examples of litotes from daily conversations: They do not seem the happiest couple around. The ice cream was not too bad. New York is not an ordinary city. Your comments on politics are not useless. You are not as young as you used to be. I cannot disagree with your point of view.