25 Examples of Litote

The litote, also called litotes or attenuation, is a rhetorical or literary figure which consists in affirming something while denying the opposite. For example: Sorry, but we believe that you are not right (implying that you are wrong).

This trope aims to express something in a less intense way than it ultimately implies, without losing understanding of the speaker's intention. It is related to irony and the euphemism, and belongs to the group of figures of thought. The word lithotes, of Greek origin, means "simplicity or weakening".

Beyond finding it in literary and poetic texts, the litote is frequently used in everyday life because it has many applications to say more by saying less. For example: a family member has suffered an accident and, when someone is interested in learning about the patient's health and asks how he is, is answered "not very well", to mitigate the impact of an expression that should be "he is serious".

• See also:Literary resources

Examples of litote in literature and poetry

1. He saw not far from the road a sale that was like seeing a star that not to the portals, but to the fortresses of surrender he was leading him. (Miguel de Cervantes- Don Quijote of La Mancha)
2. Neither a seducer Mañara nor a Bradomin I have been. (A. machado)
3. An unbroken dream
   I want a pure, happy, free day;
   I don't want to see the frown
   vainly severe
   of whom the blood exalts or the money.
   (Fray Luis de León – «Ode I»)

1. And you will be drowned
   in unfinable evils and in oblivion.
   (Fray Luis de León – «On leaving prison»)
2. The eight pieces of this book do not require more elucidation. The eighth (The garden of paths that fork) is police; his readers will attend the execution and all the preliminaries of a crime, the purpose of which they do not ignore but that they will not understand, it seems to me, until the last paragraph. The others are fantastic; one –The lottery in Babylon– not entirely innocent of symbolism. I am not the first author of the narrative The Library of Babel; those curious about his history and his prehistory can interrogate a certain page of number 59 of Sur, which records the heterogeneous names of Leucippus and Lasswitz, Lewis Carroll and Aristotle. In The circular ruins everything is unreal: in Pierre Menard author of "Don Quixote" it is the destiny that his protagonist imposes on himself. The list of writings that I attribute to him not too funny but it is not arbitrary; it is a diagram of his mental history. (Jorge Luis Borges – “Prologue” in fictions)

Examples of litote in everyday life

1. Apparently, the team's idea was not a bad one. (ie it was a good idea)
2. The actor played a no less important role. (that is, it is another very important role)
3. Ramiro, it seems that you are very little uncomfortable! (that is, you are very comfortable)
4. That first date was not unpleasant at all. (I mean, it was really good)
5. That's not very smart of you, Raul. (ie nonsense)
6. Pablo, your girlfriend… she's not very old. (ie he is young)
7. It was not a short time that we waited to enter the restaurant. (i.e. it was a long time)
8. Our history teacher isn't that bad. (ie he is good)
9. I can't turn down that job offer. (ie I accept it)
10. It seems that Hernán is not very happy with his salary. (i.e. he is unhappy)
11. And who is denying the opposite? (I mean, who says yes?)
12. She has studied for the exam with no small zeal. (i.e. eagerly)
13. It will seem easy to you, Nuria, but it is not such a simple problem. (ie it's complicated)
14. I can assure you that Marcos is not stupid at all. (i.e. very smart)
15. It was not little that the friends talked. (i.e. they talked a lot)
16. You shouldn't be too far from this place. (ie it's close)
17. That painting on the wall is not something you see every day. (ie it's weird)
18. Today, May 25 in Argentina, is not just any day. (ie it's a special day)
19. Joan Didion's words are priceless. (i.e. they're great)
20. That clarification he made to me was not innocent at all. (i.e. it was on purpose)
21. Goodness! (I mean, how cool!)
22. The matter of the sale of the fields is not something to be treated lightly. (i.e. should be treated seriously)
23. Do not tell me! (i.e. tell me!)
24. My son has given me quite a few troubles. (i.e. he gave me a lot of trouble)
25. Training every day is not an easy achievement. (ie, it's a great achievement)

Follow with:

• Anaphora
• complexion
• dilogy
• diaphore
• Epanadiplosis