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
Russ BeckerIt is an understatement to say that the Internet has made life far more convenient for staggeringly many people.—Cass R. Sunstein
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
Catherine Mayer We have been taught to value terseness and understatement … —Irving Howe
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
PremiereHe 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
Alex RossExamples of understatement in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images To say that Clark's second WNBA season has been a disappointment would be an understatement.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
To say his promotion after Mike McCarthy’s exit was an anticlimactic surprise would be an understatement.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2025
On The Gilded Age, to say Gladys is devastated about marrying the Duke of Buckingham would be an understatement.
—Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 15 July 2025
Actually, that might be an understatement following a 12-16 post-All Star break finish that resulted in the late-season firing of head coach Taylor Jenkins.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for understatement
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Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
To say his promotion after Mike McCarthy’s exit was an anticlimactic surprise would be an understatement.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2025
On The Gilded Age, to say Gladys is devastated about marrying the Duke of Buckingham would be an understatement.
—Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 15 July 2025
Actually, that might be an understatement following a 12-16 post-All Star break finish that resulted in the late-season firing of head coach Taylor Jenkins.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for understatement
Cite this Entry
“Understatement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/understatement. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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