meaning - What is this type of idiom called: "I know he's not the smartest person in the world, but..."


Basically, when someone says something along the lines of



"I know he's not the smartest person in the world, but he should at least pass first grade math."



It's peculiar because they are using a form of hyperbole to say they are not the smartest person in the world, but what they are really implying is that they are not smart at all.


Edit This post was flagged a possible duplicate, I just wanted to clarify that what I am asking is not the nuance or meaning of the phrase, but the term for the idiom itself. I do not believe this specific question has been asked. Thanks.



Answer



It's called litotes.


From Wikipedia:



In rhetoric, litotes is a figure of speech wherein understatement is used to emphasize a point by stating a negative to further affirm a positive, often incorporating double negatives for effect


For example, "She's not bad looking" could be used to express that someone is gorgeous. Or it could convey that she's not particularly ugly, but also isn't particularly attractive.


The degree of emphasis depends on the context in which it is used.



From Oxford:



litotes: [MASS NOUN] Ironical understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (e.g. I shan’t be sorry for I shall be glad).



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