Which figure of speech is defined as deliberate understatement?

• A. Alliteration
• B. Litote
• C. Irony
• D. Metaphor

Answer: (B)

Deliberate understatement is litotes. It softens or downplays a statement by negating the opposite of what’s meant, often using phrases like “not bad” to mean good or “not unfamiliar” to mean familiar. The effect is a gentler, more restrained way to express something positive or milder than a direct claim.

This differs from alliteration, which is about repeating initial sounds rather than meaning; a metaphor, which makes a direct comparison without using like or as; and irony, which involves saying the opposite of what is meant or highlighting a contrast between expectation and reality. Litotes specifically relies on negation to understate.