euphemism

[ yoo-fuh-miz-uhm ]
/ ˈyu fəˌmɪz əm /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR euphemism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.
the expression so substituted: “To pass away” is a euphemism for “to die.”

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Origin of euphemism

1650–60; <Greek euphēmismós the use of words of good omen, equivalent to eu-eu- + phḗm(ē) speaking, fame + -ismos-ism

OTHER WORDS FROM euphemism

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH euphemism

euphemism , euphuism.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to euphemism

grandiloquence, circumlocution, delicacy, inflation, pomposity, pretense, floridness, purism

Example sentences from the Web for euphemism

British Dictionary definitions for euphemism

euphemism
/ (ˈjuːfɪˌmɪzəm) /

noun

an inoffensive word or phrase substituted for one considered offensive or hurtful, esp one concerned with religion, sex, death, or excreta. Examples of euphemisms are sleep with for have sexual intercourse with; departed for dead; relieve oneself for urinate
the use of such inoffensive words or phrases

Derived forms of euphemism

euphemistic, adjectiveeuphemistically, adverb

Word Origin for euphemism

C17: from Greek euphēmismos, from eu- + phēmē speech
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for euphemism

euphemism
[ (yooh-fuh-miz-uhm) ]

An agreeable word or expression substituted for one that is potentially offensive, often having to do with bodily functions, sex, or death; for example, rest room for toilet, lady of the evening for prostitute. The Nazis used euphemism in referring to their plan to murder the world's Jews (see also Jews) as “the Final Solution.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.