Question

what is understatement? the use of language that states the opposite of what is actually meant verbal irony employed to mock, ridicule, or criticize the use of extreme exaggeration to make a point describing something as smaller or less significant than it actually is

Explanation:

Understatement is a figure - of - speech where something is described as being smaller or less significant than it actually is. The first option describes verbal irony (opposite of what is meant), the second is sarcasm (a form of verbal irony for mockery), and the third is hyperbole (extreme exaggeration).

Answer:

describing something as smaller or less significant than it actually is