1. Hyperbole (Exaggeration) Hyperbole is used to emphasize a point or create a strong impression by using extreme descriptions.
- Extreme Numbers and Amounts: Using exaggerated quantities like "a million years," saying something weighs "a ton," or that something happened "tons of times".
- Extreme Adjectives: Replacing common adjectives with much stronger ones, such as:
- Gigantic instead of big.
- Ancient instead of old.
- Ravenous instead of hungry.
- Soaked instead of wet.
- Incinerated instead of burnt.
- Superlatives and "Literally": Using the highest degree of comparison (e.g., "the tiniest diamond") or the word "literally" to add drama, even if the statement is not strictly true.
2. Understatement Understatement is used to make something seem less intense, serious, or important than it actually is.
- Softeners: Using words like a bit, slightly, kind of, or rather to lessen the impact of a description.
- Negative Phrases: Using expressions with "not" or "no," such as "not exactly," "not the most," or "no big deal" to downplay a situation.