understatement

英 [ˈʌndəsteɪtmənt]

美 [ˈʌndərsteɪtmənt]

n.  保守的说法; 不充分的叙述; 淡化; 低调说法

复数：understatements　

GRE经济

Collins.1 / BNC.14115 / COCA.13139

牛津词典

noun

• 保守的说法；不充分的叙述
  a statement that makes sth seem less important, impressive, serious, etc. than it really is
  1. To say we were pleased is an understatement (= we were extremely pleased) .
     说我们高兴，那是轻描淡写。
  2. ‘These figures are a bit disappointing.’ ‘That's got to be the understatement of the year .’
     “这些数字有点令人失望。” “那一定是本年度最保守的说法了。”
• 淡化；低调说法
  the practice of making things seem less impressive, important, serious, etc. than they really are
  1. typical English understatement
     典型的英国式低调说法
  2. He always goes for subtlety and understatement in his movies.
     他总是在自己的电影中运用细腻刻画和淡化手法。

柯林斯词典

• N-COUNT 不充分如实的陈述；轻描淡写的说明
  If you say that a statement is anunderstatement, you mean that it does not fully express the extent to which something is true.
  1. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement...
     说我失望那是说得太轻了。
  2. He was getting very hard to live with, and that's the understatement of the year.
     说他很不好相处，那简直是说得太客气了。
• N-UNCOUNT 轻描淡写；重事轻说；淡化
  Understatementis the practice of suggesting that things have much less of a particular quality than they really have.
  1. He informed us with massive understatement that he was feeling disappointed.
     他极力轻描淡写地跟我们说他感到失望。
  2. ...typical British understatement.
     典型的英国式轻描淡写

英英释义

noun

• a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said

双语例句

• But now in Britain, proud traditions of cynicism and understatement have been cast aside.
  而现在，英国也已把引以为豪的犬儒主义和言语节制的传统抛诸脑后。
• And probably the understatement of all time would be that I have learned a lot along the way.
  一直以来保守的说法是，一路上我学到了很多。
• That's a bit of an understatement.
  那有点夸张了。
• That, I thought, could be the understatement of the year.
  我想那可能是当年少报的数字。
• 'A little strange'is a gross understatement.
  “有一点奇怪”绝对是轻描淡写。
• Misidentification is perhaps an understatement here.
  误认在这里也许是一种轻描淡写。
• To say that not everybody agrees with this theory would be an understatement.
  说并非所有人都赞同这一理论，是客气的说法。
• A Pragmatic Study of Understatement in the Acadians
  《阿卡迪亚人》中低调陈述的语用研究
• He was getting very hard to live with, and that's the understatement of the year.
  说他很不好相处，那简直是说得太客气了。
• Probably an understatement: A lot of times what people want is a listening ear.
  很可能是轻描淡写，但很多时候，人们想要的只是一只倾听的耳朵。