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# understatement

noun (an understatement, understatements; understatement — uncountable)

«understatement» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. An understatement is a way of saying something that makes it sound smaller, weaker or less important than it really is. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understatement/#m1)
2. Understatement is the habit or style of speaking this way, often for humour or politeness. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understatement/#m2)

### In the lessons

In English lessons it is a figure of speech, the opposite of exaggeration (hyperbole); British humour is famous for it. In everyday talk: «That's an understatement!» means the truth is much bigger. In stories it shows a calm or funny character: calling a hurricane «a bit windy».

### Examples

- Saying the hurricane was «a bit windy» is an understatement. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understatement/#x1)
- «It's an understatement to say I was hungry – I was starving!» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understatement/#x2)
- British people are known for understatement. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understatement/#x3)
- The coach called our 10–0 win «not bad», which was an understatement. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understatement/#x4)
- Find the understatement in the poem. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understatement/#x5)
- To say the test was hard is an understatement. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understatement/#x6)

### Note

Opposite: «overstatement» or «exaggeration». Not a lie: the speaker and listener both know the truth is bigger. «The understatement of the year» is a joking phrase.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «understatement» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/understatement/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«understatement» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/understatement.html) on Mova free.