a great understatement

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a great understatement" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where the reality is much more significant or severe than what is being expressed. Example: "Saying that the storm caused some damage is a great understatement; it completely destroyed several homes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Whatever is happening here – marital discord or not – things are not good in the house of Murdoch (a great understatement).

The Guardian - Opinion

That proved to be a great understatement, with Cole charting the course of British politics from 1981 to 1992 often from the heart of the action.

The Guardian

In a dispassionate critique of the piece as journalism, Antonio Martínez Velázquez, writing in Horizontal — an online political journal — notes that Penn's writing is "rife with the vices of American old-new journalism," and the author "talks more about himself than his subject," which is a great understatement.

The New Yorker

To say that they regularly underestimate their customers' intelligence would be a great understatement.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Taking the stage to generous applause from both the awards audience and the press seated in a separate theater, a visibly moved Ms. Dunst looked out at the crowd and blurted with great understatement, "Wow, what a week it's been!" She thanked the festival for keeping "Melancholia" in competition and Mr. von Trier for letting her be brave.

The New York Times

"This is something I've been preparing for for a long time," Cassel said, delivering the day's great understatement.

The New York Times

Many women, and a growing number of men, go under the plastic surgeon's knife, not so much out of personal vanity but as a pragmatic response to social expectations.North Korea, as Mr Kim says with great understatement, is different.

The Economist

The only indication that something unusual is going on back there is a full-size sign, visible from the small front yard, that reads, with great understatement, "Railroad Crossing".

The New York Times

"Some of us like the publicity, and some of us just get tired of it," said Merlin Rupp, a 71-year-old lifelong range worker from Burns, Ore., who retired several years ago after a horse fell under him, badly breaking Mr. Rupp's neck and, as he describes it with great understatement, "putting me to sleep for three weeks".

The New York Times - Arts

That's a big understatement.

The New York Times

If there is a record for greatest understatement, that observation would rank high.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To improve impact, follow "a great understatement" with a brief explanation that provides a stark contrast to the original statement. This further emphasizes the magnitude of the actual situation.

Common error

While effective, overuse of understatement can dilute its impact. Reserve "a great understatement" for situations where the contrast between the statement and reality is truly significant to maintain its rhetorical force.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a great understatement" functions as a rhetorical device used to emphasize irony or highlight the true significance of a situation by presenting it as less important than it actually is. Ludwig AI shows that its commonly used in News & Media.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a great understatement" is a phrase used to highlight the significant difference between a statement and the reality it represents. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness of this phrase. It is most frequently found in News & Media and has a neutral register. Related phrases include "a significant understatement" and "a considerable understatement". When using this phrase, emphasize the contrast between the statement and reality to enhance its effectiveness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a significant understatement

Emphasizes the understatement is considerable but maintains a similar structure.

a considerable understatement

Similar to "significant", but with a slightly different nuance of quantity.

a vast understatement

Implies the true situation is much larger or more extreme than stated.

a huge understatement

Similar to "vast", but perhaps less formal.

a gross understatement

Emphasizes the largeness of the understatement, bordering on inaccuracy.

a major understatement

Indicates the understatement is of considerable importance.

a severe understatement

Focuses on the intensity or seriousness that the understatement diminishes.

a profound understatement

Suggests the understatement hides a deep or important truth.

a simple understatement

Highlights the basic or fundamental nature of the understatement.

a mild understatement

Implies the understatement is gentle or subtle in its misrepresentation.

FAQs

How can I use "a great understatement" in a sentence?

You can use "a great understatement" to highlight the contrast between a statement and the reality it represents. For example, "To say they were disappointed is "a great understatement"; they were devastated."

What phrases are similar to "a great understatement"?

Similar phrases include "a significant understatement", "a considerable understatement", or "a vast understatement". Each emphasizes the degree to which a statement minimizes the truth.

When is it appropriate to use "a great understatement" in writing?

It's appropriate when you want to underscore the actual magnitude of something by contrasting it with a weaker statement. This can create emphasis or be used for ironic effect.

Is there a difference between "a great understatement" and "an understatement"?

"A great understatement" emphasizes the magnitude of the understatement. "An understatement" is a general term, while adding "great" specifies that the reality is significantly more pronounced than the statement suggests.