Meaning
Used to convey that a statement is a gentle or modest representation of something, often implying the actual situation is more severe.
Primary Function
Understatement and emphasis
Communicative Purpose
To signal to the listener that the speaker's words understate the true intensity of a situation, inviting them to infer the deeper reality.
Pattern
To put it mildly
Core Structure
To put it mildly
Função primária
Understatement and emphasis
Propósito comunicativo
To signal to the listener that the speaker's words understate the true intensity of a situation, inviting them to infer the deeper reality.
Situações de gatilho
Difficult people, disastrous events, shocking experiences, or contexts where the impact exceeds the description.
Contextos
Informal and formal commentary, news reporting, criticism, personal anecdotes, and academic discourse.
Padrão
To put it mildly
Estrutura central
To put it mildly
Slots de substituição
The preceding statement that is being understated
Colocados típicos
- that's an understatement
- indeed
- to say the least
Substituições comuns
- That's putting it mildly
- to say the least
- that's an understatement
Erros comuns
Using 'mild' instead of 'mildly'
Similar / contraste
To say the least, That's an understatement, to put it bluntly
Interferências
Avoid confusing with 'to put it bluntly', which conveys a direct tone
Família do chunk
- That's putting it mildly
- to put it kindly
Nuance
Creates ironic distance, often used humorously or critically
Efeito pragmático
Encourages listeners to infer a stronger reality, adding skepticism and sometimes sarcasm
Dica de memória
Understatement
Nota
This expression is often used to soften the delivery of bad news or to critique something in a humorous or sarcastic way. It is a common phrase in both spoken and written English, particularly in contexts where the speaker wants to highlight the discrepancy between their words and the actual truth.
Upgrade path
That would be an understatement
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