Literary understatement

• Little child in stories making understatement
• Figure of speech like "not unlike"
• 'Not unhappy,' e.g
• T S Eliot's quirky figure of speech
• Understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)
• Understatement for effect

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
In rhetoric , litotes (, or ) is a figure of speech wherein understatement is used to emphasize a point by stating a negative to further affirm a positive, often incorporating double negatives for effect. For example, "She's not bad looking" could be used ...

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Meiosis \Mei*o"sis\ (m[-i]*[=o]"s[i^]s), n. [NL., fr. Gr. mei`wsis, fr. meioy^n to make smaller, from mei`wn. See Meionite .] (Rhet.) Diminution; a species of hyperbole, representing a thing as being less than it really is; understatement; see also litotes ...

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
rhetorical figure in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its opposite, from Greek litotes , literally "plainness, simplicity," from litos "smooth, plain, small, meager," from PIE root *(s)lei- "slimy, sticky, slippery" (hence "smooth"); ...

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary); "saying `I was not a little upset' when you mean `I was very upset' is an example of litotes" [syn: meiosis ]