What are litotes?
Litotes are a form of understatement in which a negative sentence is used to make a positive point. It often follows the patterns ‘it’s not + negative’ (a double negative) or ‘it’s not + superlative’.
Litotes can be used in many different situations. However, in speaking they are often for joking, being modest, and being cruel.
Examples
| Litote example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hmm, that’s not bad | That is pretty good |
| There’s not a lot | There is almost none |
| He’s not wrong | He is right |
| It wasn’t the best use of my time | I thought it was a waste of my time |
| This is not unlike the time I went to Rome | This is very similar to the time I went to Rome |
| She’s not the smartest girl in the class | She is a bit stupid |
| He isn’t the thinnest | He is quite fat |
| They aren’t the fastest | They are slow |