verbal hedge

A word or phrase that makes statements less forceful or assertive. Contrast with boosting and intensifier.

See also:

• Comment Clause
• Degree Modifier
• Discourse Marker
• Downtoner
• Metadiscourse
• Modality
• Stance

Examples and Observations:

• "I think that God in creating Man somewhat overestimated his ability."
  (Oscar Wilde)



• "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
  (Walt Disney)



• "Lawyers I suppose were children once."
  (Charles Lamb)



• "You sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."
  (J. K. Rowling)



• "Life, I fancy, would very often be insupportable, but for the luxury of self-compassion."
  (George Gissing)



• "It seems to me that trying to live without friends is like milking a bear to get cream for your morning coffee. It is a whole lot of trouble, and then not worth much after you get it."
  (Zora Neale Hurston)



• "Writers and reporters for various media are increasingly sensitive to possible legal repercussions regarding the things they report. As a result, many of them, seemingly to protect themselves and their organizations, tend to overuse hedge words--that is, words that allow the speaker or writer to hedge on the meaning of his or her statement. As such, readers and listeners are subjected to such statements as the following:

  The alleged burglary occurred last night.
  The diplomat died of an apparent heart attack.

  Such hedge words are unnecessary if the police report indeed shows that a burglary occurred and if the medical report lists a heart attack as the cause of the diplomat's death. In any case, the second sentence above would certainly make more sense if it were written another way. (Besides, what is an 'apparent heart attack'?)

  Apparently, the diplomat died of a heart attack.
  The diplomat died, apparently of a heart attack."

  (G. Loberger and K. Shoup, Webster's New World English Grammar Handbook. Wiley, 2009)