the use of a negative or weak statement to emphasize a positive meaning, for example he wasn’t slow to accept the offer (= he was quick to accept the offer) compare understatement反叙法,曲言(用否定或较弱的语气加强表示肯定) WordfinderTopics Languagec2Word Originlate 16th cent.: via late Latin from Greek litotēs, from litos ‘plain, meagre’.