understatement

[ uhn-der-steyt-muh nt, uhn-der-steyt- ]

/ ˌʌn dərˈsteɪt mənt, ˈʌn dərˌsteɪt- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR understatement ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or an instance of understating, or representing in a weak or restrained way that is not borne out by the facts: The journalist wrote that the earthquake had caused some damage. This turned out to be a massive understatement of the devastation.

Nearby words

understand, understandable, understanding, understate, understated, understatement, understeer, understock, understood, understorey, understory

Origin of understatement

under- + statement

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for understatement

That may sound like the understatement of the century, and maybe it is.
After the Israel Synagogue Massacre: A New Intifada?|Michael Tomasky|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And considering his massive music-industry thumb print, that “you oughta know” Jack Antonoff is an understatement.
The Rise of Jack Antonoff, the Taylor Swift Whisperer|Kevin Fallon|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To say that the past few years have been a watershed period of improvement for LGBT America is an understatement.
Mississippi Is Hell for These Lesbians|Emily Shire|August 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To say that actress Lee Grant has seen it all would be an understatement.
The Unsinkable Lee Grant Sets the Record Straight|William O’Connor|July 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

To say that the aftermath has been messy would be an understatement.
What Do Arab Millennials Want?|William O’Connor|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“It seems that we have a little problem,” Christianson said, making what would probably be the understatement of the century.
A Prize for Edie|Jesse Franklin Bone
Many times was an understatement, Latham thought wretchedly.
One Purple Hope!|Henry Hasse
He was not going to miss anything in the way of a chance of “getting a rise” out of the Administration, by understatement.
The American Occupation of the Philippines 1898-1912|James H. Blount
It should be added that he appreciated as few Germans do the rhetorical value of understatement.
Library Of The World's Best Literature, Ancient And Modern, Vol. 5|Various
I perceived Wenceslaus, in a moment of understatement, to be more than a little disaffected.
The Land of Look Behind|Paul Cameron Brown

British Dictionary definitions for understatement

understatement

/ (ˌʌndəˈsteɪtmənt) /

noun

the act or an instance of stating something in restrained terms, or as less than it is

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for understatement

understatement

A form of irony in which something is intentionally represented as less than it is: “Hank Aaron was a pretty good ball player.”

understatement

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of understatement

Examples from the Web for understatement

British Dictionary definitions for understatement

understatement

noun

Culture definitions for understatement

understatement