Meanings
- countablerhetoricuncountableA figure of speech whereby something is stated by denying its opposite.
The delicacy which prompts a later generation to reject that name is by no means necessarily a result of stricter habits, is far more often due to the flatness which comes of untiring repetition and to the greater piquancy of litotes.
1895, William Congreve, “Introduction”, in G. S. Street, editor, The Comedies of William Congreve, volume 1, Methuen and Co.Synonyms: antenantiosis, meiosis, moderatour · Antonyms: hyperbole
- countableespeciallyrhetoricuncountableThe negation of a negative quality to assert a positive.
Synonyms: antenantiosis, meiosis, moderatour · Antonyms: hyperbole
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA figure of speech whereby something is stated by denying its opposite.
nounThe negation of a negative quality to assert a positive.
More synonyms by meaning
noununderstatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekλιτότης
- Late Latinlītotēs
- Englishlitotes
Learned borrowing from Late Latin lītotēs, from Ancient Greek λιτότης (litótēs, literally “plainness”), from λιτός (litós, “simple”).
More words from Late Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek λιτότης
- λιτότης (litótēs)rhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Catalan lítote
- lítoterhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Czech litotes
- litotesrhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Dutch litotes
- litotesrhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Esperanto litoto, maltroigo
- litotorhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
- maltroigorhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Finnish litoteesi
- litoteesirhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
French litote
- litoterhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
German Litotes
- Litotesrhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Greek λιτότητα
- λιτότητα (litótita)rhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Irish liotóid
- liotóidrhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Italian litote
- litoterhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Norwegian Bokmål litot, litotes
- litotrhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
- litotesrhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Polish litota, litotes
- litotarhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
- litotesrhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Portuguese litotes
- litotesrhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Russian лито́та
- лито́та (litóta)rhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Spanish litote, lítotes
- litoterhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
- lítotesrhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
- lítoterhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
- litotesrhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Tagalog makumbaba
- makumbabarhetoric: stating a point by denying its opposite
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
litotes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litotes
“litotes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litotes. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “litotes,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litotes.
Source: litotes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.