Meiosis (figure of speech)
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| + | In [[rhetoric]], '''meiosis''' is a [[euphemism|euphemistic]] [[figure of speech]] that intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size than it really is. Meiosis is the opposite of [[auxesis]], and also sometimes used as a [[synonym]] for [[litotes]] The term is derived from the Greek ''mei-o-o'' (“to make smaller”, "to diminish"). | ||
| - | '''Hyperbole''' comes from Greek and is a [[figure of speech]] in which statements are exaggerated. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, and is not meant to be taken literally. | + | ==Examples== |
| - | + | *"[[The Troubles]]" as a name for decades of violence in Northern Ireland. | |
| - | Hyperbole is used to create [[Emphasis (typography)|emphasis]]. It is a [[literary device]] often used in [[poetry]], and is frequently encountered in casual speech. | + | *A lawyer defending a schoolboy who has set fire to his school might call the act of arson a "prank", in this case using meiosis in an attempt to diminish the significance of the act (actually, grand [[arson]]) to the level of a harmless joke or minor act of [[vandalism]]. |
| - | + | * "The Recent Unpleasantness," used in the southern United States as an idiom to refer to the American Civil War and its aftermath | |
| - | Some examples include:<br /> | + | |
| - | these books ''weigh a ton''. (weigh a great deal)<br /> | + | |
| - | I could sleep ''for a year''. (for a long time)<br /> | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | [[Antonym]]s to hyperbole include [[meiosis (figure of speech)|meiosis]], [[litotes]], [[understatement]], and [[bathos]] (the 'let down' after a hyperbole in a phrase). | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] (literally 'overshooting' or 'excess'), it is a [[cognate]] of ''[[hyperbola]]''. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ==See Also== | + | |
| - | {{Wiktionary|hyperbole}} | + | |
| - | * [[Adynaton]] | + | |
| - | * [[Irony]] | + | |
| - | * [[Litotes]] | + | |
| - | * [[Metaphor]] | + | |
| - | * [[Simile]] | + | |
| - | * [[Zillion]] | + | |
| - | + | ||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Auxesis]] | ||
| + | *[[Figure of speech]] | ||
| + | *[[Litotes]] | ||
| + | *[[Paradiastole]] | ||
| + | *[[Euphemism]] | ||
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In rhetoric, meiosis is a euphemistic figure of speech that intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size than it really is. Meiosis is the opposite of auxesis, and also sometimes used as a synonym for litotes The term is derived from the Greek mei-o-o (“to make smaller”, "to diminish").
[edit]
Examples
- "The Troubles" as a name for decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
- A lawyer defending a schoolboy who has set fire to his school might call the act of arson a "prank", in this case using meiosis in an attempt to diminish the significance of the act (actually, grand arson) to the level of a harmless joke or minor act of vandalism.
- "The Recent Unpleasantness," used in the southern United States as an idiom to refer to the American Civil War and its aftermath
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See also
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Meiosis (figure of speech)" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
