Understatement and Overstatement

Understatement

Understatement is a style to minimize the emphasis on purpose.

Case 1 - Puns / Sarcasm

Yeah, I'm, like, vaguely unhappy.

• "like" - purposely to minimize the emphasis
• "vaguely" - deliberately understating
• So without tone, this can means:
  • I'm extremely unhappy - (normal/low/disappointing tone)
  • I'm obviously happy - (happy tone with positive smile following up)
• Hence, this statement is suitable for speaking, not suitable for writing as the writer could not fully comprehend the actual message.

Overstatement

Overstatement is a style to exaggerate the emphasis on purpose.

Case 1 - Exaggeration

I got a D in the exam; I'm as dead as a skeleton. I'm so dead that my granny is going to kill me.

• It's just a D result in exam and it's not a death sentence to strip you to skeleton; or an old lady to kill her own grandchild.
• "I'm dead as a skeleton" - drastically describes how bad is the consequences.
• "I'm so dead that my granny is going to kill me" - re-affirm the bad consequences
• Without tone, this means:
  • I got a D in exam and I will face a dreadful consequences later.
• Hence, this statement is suitable for both speaking and writing since the emphasis is easy to understand.

Case 2 - Teasing / Slurring

"Yeah. I'm pretty upset about that," Mary said happily.

• Upset or not?
  • Depends on the situation, context, and Mary's character.
  • She does means she's upset, if she always carry a fake smile.
  • Since the tone said "happily", we can assume she's genuinely happy and wants to bring you up to her happiness level by teasing you.
• Since the tone is stated happily and the content is clear (although the context is unclear), this statement is suitable for both speaking and writing.

Be Careful

Applying understatement or overstatement for a formal clauses reflects the sender (writer/speaker) integrity and character. Bad (not wrong) frequent use of these styles can create distrust in you.

Guide

• Keep it to informal communications.
• Always evaluate your receiver's perception before use.
• Set a tone, if available.