Litotes meaning
In Litotes, an affirmative is conveyed by the negation of the opposite, the effect being to suggest a strong expression by means of a weaker.
It is the opposite of hyperbole (exaggerate to make a point).
Litotes - Words that create negative effect to a sentence.
Before getting any further, let’s see the words that create a negative effect on a sentence or a statement.
The words such as NOT, NON, NO, DON”T etc., when applied to a statement, create a not-so-good terminology. But these words can also be used to create a positive statement.
Types of Litotes
There are two types of litotes.
1. DENIED NEGATIVES.
2. DENIED POSITIVES.
Denied negatives
[affirming a positive statement]
–It uses negative wordings to express a positive statement.
USES:
The affirmation is mitigated and downplayed. That is, you are not into it fully, but only accept to a certain point.
Example 1: I don’t hate the movie. (Double negatives – don’t and hate)
Meaning: I like the movie, but only to a certain point, and not fully. It’s not that I like it 100%, or, hate it 100%, but indicates the level of likeliness which is reduced or mitigated. I like it but not fully like it.
Example 2: The story is not unpleasant. (double negatives – not, unpleasant)
Meaning: The story is good.
The meaning of unpleasant = not nice.
The meaning of not unpleasant = nice.
So, it’s a denied negative.
The use of double negatives creates a positive effect.
Denied positives
[to affirm a negative statement]
It is used to create a negative effect.
Example: He’s not a great player.
Meaning: He has difficulty learning the rules of the game.
In this sentence, we are trying to mention that the person is not a great player.
Imagine if someone is saying, “He’s an awesome player.” But you are not a fan of that player and you want to deny it, you should say, “He’s not a great player.”
This is a denied positive.
More examples
Litotes | Meaning |
|---|---|
It's not my lucky coin. | It's just an ordinary coin and not that particular one he finds lucky. |
It's not costly. | He needs an expensive one and this one is not to his expected level. |
It's not cheap. | It's expensive. |
This man is no fool. | This man is very clever. |
This man is not clever. | This man is a fool. |
He is not a little surprised. | He is greatly surprised. |
He is not very much happy. | He is not satisfied. |
The cake is not bad. | It is good. |
She is not a little angry. | She is extremely angry. |
I don't have a few failures. | I have faced many drawbacks. |
I don't hate her. | I like her. |
The result was not negative. | It was positive. |
I am not unwilling to do it. | I am willing to do it. |
After the speech, he was not unhappy. | He was happy. |
He won't regret it for choosing that. | He will be happy. |
He's not the toughest nail in the toolbox. | He is not strong. |
Litotes advantages
It is always rude or impolite to say bad about someone. But, we will be in a situation to convey the message.
In that case, litotes comes to our rescue, especially if you don’t want to hurt others and say it in a polished way.
Example: “He is not the brightest star in the band.”
– can be said instead of saying directly, “He is not good at music.”
Litotes disadvantages
On the other hand, it is used by people to not appreciate whole heartedly or directly, and prefer to use a much lesser tone.
Example: Your results are awesome.
But the person says, “Your results are not bad.”
Just to maintain a safe distance between the situation and the person.
Most of us would have come across this situation where we would have expected a real appreciation but it would have turned out to be, “is that it all”!!
Either the person is forced to say so, or it is who they are and do it purposefully.
Whatever maybe the reason, we should not be disheartened by these negative use of litotes by people. Let’s keep moving on and strive for the best!
And let’s make it a point to use litotes to speak good and not to hurt others.
Best wishes.
