Imagine a soccer game where the score is 10-0. The losing team walks off the field. In the locker room, the coach starts his post-game speech with, "Well, we faced a small loss today."

The coach is either delusional or he's using an understatement.

An understatement is a figure of speech. It is a phrase or discussion that minimizes the significance of a situation. Calling a game "a small loss" when the score was 10-0 is an example of an understatement. Saying you just have a cold when you're stuck in bed with the flu is an understatement.

Authors use understatement for humor, to show a character's feelings, and to add to the tone of a piece. Speakers, particularly politicians, use understatement to play down a point or to be sarcastic.

The video below will show you a few more examples of understatement in literature and in real life.