understatement

noun

un·​der·​state·​ment ˌən-dər-ˈstāt-mənt 

plural understatements

1

: a statement that represents something as smaller or less intense, or less important than it really is : a statement that understates something

To say that I was surprised by this outcome would be an understatement. I was completely blindsided ….

—Russ Becker

It is an understatement to say that the Internet has made life far more convenient for staggeringly many people.

—Cass R. Sunstein

also : the act of understating something or the practice of making such statements

understatement of population growth

To say Britain isn't good at coping with snow would be to exercise British understatement.

—Catherine Mayer

We have been taught to value terseness and understatement …

—Irving Howe

2

: the avoidance of obvious emphasis or embellishment : an understated condition, appearance, etc.

Sure, glamour is still the operative word regarding fashion, but where flamboyance once ruled, there is now understatement and classic elegance.

—Premiere

He capitalizes on his reputation for understatement by saving huge sonorities for significant occasions; as a result, his rare musical outbursts seem not so much theatrical as visceral, as if they were blows sustained in real time.

—Alex Ross

Examples of understatement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Why Oklahoma? To say Oklahoma City is an unusual choice for what would be the world’s fifth largest building is an understatement. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024

To say all eyes were on the draft is an understatement, and the athletes served up beauty inspo while joining forces with some of the biggest teams on the WNBA roster. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 16 Apr. 2024

To say that listeners have been clamoring for Shakira’s return both to the studio and to the stage would be an understatement. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2024

Yet given how much slaughter is caused by this omnivorous arachnid, which grows bigger and bigger with each feeding, the moniker turns out to be a major understatement. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024

To say it’s been a devastating couple of years for women’s reproductive rights would be an understatement. —Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024

Saying that Conde simply has a crisis on his hands would be a contender for understatement of the year. —Oliver Darcy, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024

To say there aren’t many confirmable details about the 10-track project is an understatement. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024

To say their first date was a success would be an understatement. —Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing understatement

• the understatement of the year