understatement

American  

[uhn-der-steyt-muhnt, uhn-der-steyt-] / ˌʌn dərˈsteɪt mənt, ˈʌn dərˌsteɪt- /

noun

1. 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.

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understatement British  

/ ˌʌndəˈsteɪtmənt /

noun

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

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understatement Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of understatement

under- + statement

Explanation

You make an understatement when you say a lot less than you could. If you say "We didn't do our best" when your team loses 56 to 0, that's quite an understatement. An understatement can be just the thing to make someone feel better. For example, if you are a terrible dancer and everyone seems to be pointing and laughing at you, your friend might say your style is unique. She's not lying, but she is making sad truth easier to deal with. Understatement can also be used humorously — if you have a really difficult, scary experience, you might say, "Well, that was interesting."

Example Sentences

To say that things have dramatically changed in the United States since I was a child in the 1960s is an understatement.

From Salon • May 29, 2026

To say he is not your average 20-year-old would be an understatement.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

Initial data showed 25 Foundayo prescriptions, but analysts believe this is an understatement.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

That’s an understatement: In 2023 the FBI ran more than 57,000 U.S. person queries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

I enjoyed Francis’ words, even though they lacked the casual sense of understatement known to be the correct way to behave in Cambridge.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson