Litotes
7 lettersnounrareUpdated June 2026
Definition
A rhetorical figure in which understatement is used to affirm something by negating its contrary, as in saying 'not bad' to mean 'very good'.
“Saying 'he is not the cleverest' to mean someone is dim is a classic example of litotes.”
Pronunciation
Syllables
li·to·tes
Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
hyperboleexaggerationoverstatement
Word Game Tips
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Wordle
Ends in -ES and contains a pleasant run of common letters L, I, T, O, T, E, S with a double T
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Scrabble
All common low-value tiles, the double T is the main feature, but the word scores modestly overall
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