Exageración intencionada ante la realidad expuesta, a veces utilizada con moderación con el fin
de llamar la atención al mensaje que se quiere enfatizar.
Unos ejemplos fáciles de exageración en inglés son:
I was so hungry, I could eat an elephant.
If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times.
There are many examples of understatements used in everyday speech and
writing. Explore some different examples of comedic, modest and polite
understatements you might encounter.
You just hit the biggest lottery of all time! A modest understatement
would be: "I'm kind of excited."
You are out to dinner with a friend who spills food down the front of
her white shirt. A polite understatement would be: "Really, it's hardly
noticeable."
You get the highest grade in the class. A modest understatement would
be: "I did OK on that test."
You scrape the entire side of your car. A comedic understatement would
be: "It is only a small scratch."
Describing a huge storm overnight, a comedic understatement would be: "Looks
like it rained a bit last night."
You just had to work a double shift. A comedic understatement would be: "I
just need to rest my eyes for a minute."
Your team wins the biggest game of the season. A modest understatement
would be: "Yeah, we played pretty well today."
On the coldest day of the year with record low temperatures, a comedic
understatement would be: "I might need a jacket today."
Your friend invites you over to see their new fixer-upper. You are
shocked at the poor condition of the house. A polite understatement would be: “Oh,
it will need some fresh paint.”
A person flips out in anger over a hockey game on television and breaks
their TV. A comedic understatement would be: "I have a little bit of a
temper."
You land your dream job after endless interviews and get offered a
generous salary with lots of benefits. A modest understatement would be: "I
am pretty happy with my new job offer."
Referring to Oprah Winfrey, a comedic understatement would be: "She
has some money."
