what is understatement in literature
Definition of Understatement. An understatement is a literary device in which a writer or speaker attributes less importance or conveys less passion than the subject would seem to demand. Understatement is often used for comic effect. For example, Mark Twain states, A soiled baby, with a neglected nose, cannot be conscientiously regarded as a thing of beauty.. Understatement is also used to downplay the effect of facts, as when a totaled car is described as having a few dents.. A related term, litotes, conveys understatement through a negative construction.