litotes

noun
🔊/laɪˈtəʊtiːz/
🔊/laɪˈtəʊtiːz/
[uncountable] (specialist)
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  1. the use of a negative or weak statement to emphasize a positive meaning, for example he wasn’t slow to accept the offer反叙法,曲言(用否定或较弱的语气加强表示肯定) (= he was quick to accept the offer) compare understatementTopics Languagec2
    Word Originlate 16th cent.: via late Latin from Greek litotēs, from litos ‘plain, meagre’.