Which rhetorical device makes the situation less serious than it is?

A. ad hominem

B. understatement

C. overstatement

D. ethos

Understatement

B

Explanation:

The term understatement refers to a literary tool which is used by speakers and writers alike to make a case which is severe to appear as less severe.

It is a kind of way of communicating the happenings in a situation in a manner that speaks less of the severity of the situation is question. In other words, it is a literary manner of conveying information about the happenings surrounding a situation in a way that makes it look like the situation at hand is not as serious as what it is actually

Hence, when you represent a particular happening less than what it is actually is, then what you've done is that you've made use of an understatement