Meiosis (figure of speech)
Encyclopedia
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 μειόω (“to make smaller”, "to diminish").
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
, meiosis is a euphemistic
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
figure of speech
Figure of speech
A figure of speech is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, as in idiom, metaphor, simile,...
that intentionally understates
Understatement
Understatement is a form of speech which contains an expression of less strength than what would be expected. This is not to be confused with euphemism, where a polite phrase is used in place of a harsher or more offensive expression....
something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size than it really is. Meiosis is the opposite of auxesis
Auxesis (figure of speech)
In rhetoric, auxesis is a form of hyperbole that intentionally overstates something or implies that it is greater in significance or size than it really is. Auxesis is the opposite of meiosis....
, and also sometimes used as a synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
for litotes
Litotes
In rhetoric, litotes is a figure of speech in which understatement is employed for rhetorical effect when an idea is expressed by a denial of its opposite, principally via double negatives....
. The term is derived from the Greek μειόω (“to make smaller”, "to diminish").
Examples
- "The TroublesThe TroublesThe Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
" as a name for decades of violence in Northern Ireland. - "The PondThe PondThe Pond is an informal term for the Atlantic Ocean. The term, probably originating in the British North American colonies, is found from the mid-17th century in the form big pond, great pond or herring-pond.It may also refer to:...
" for the Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
("across the pond"). - "The Recent Unpleasantness," used in the southern United States as an idiom to refer to the American Civil War and its aftermath.
- "Intolerable meiosis!" comments a character in William GoldingWilliam GoldingSir William Gerald Golding was a British novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate, best known for his novel Lord of the Flies...
's Fire Down Below as their ship encounters an iceberg after another character comments, "We are privileged. How many people have seen anything like this?". - The Black KnightBlack Knight (Monty Python)The Black Knight is a fictional character who appears in a scene of the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As his name suggests, he is a black knight who guards a "bridge" over a small stream, for unknown reasons...
scene from Monty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
("It's just a flesh wound!")
See also
- Figure of speechFigure of speechA figure of speech is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, as in idiom, metaphor, simile,...
- ParadiastoleParadiastoleParadiastole is the use of euphemism to soften the force of naming a vice or a virtue. It is often used ironically...
- EuphemismEuphemismA euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
- MinimisationMinimisation (psychology)Minimisation is a type of deception involving denial coupled with rationalisation in situations where complete denial is implausible. It is the opposite of exaggeration....