euphemism
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.”
Origin of euphemism
1Other words from euphemism
- eu·phe·mist, noun
- eu·phe·mis·tic, eu·phe·mis·ti·cal, eu·phe·mi·ous [yoo-fee-mee-uhs], /yuˈfi mi əs/, adjective
- eu·phe·mis·ti·cal·ly, eu·phe·mi·ous·ly, adverb
- un·eu·phe·mis·tic, adjective
- un·eu·phe·mis·ti·cal, adjective
- un·eu·phe·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with euphemism
- euphemism , euphuism
Words Nearby euphemism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use euphemism in a sentence
In 1924, a local meteorologist published a pamphlet titled “In the Zone of Filtered Sunshine” that touted the city’s “sunbreaks” — a euphemism for incessantly cloudy conditions — that helped keep summers cool and pleasant.
In America’s least air-conditioned cities, brutal heat changes some people’s minds | Marc Fisher, Carissa Wolf, Michael Hingston | July 22, 2021 | Washington PostYou proposed to give us “some time,” a “pause” in our sweet courtship of almost two years, but I know well that this is the most common euphemism for not hurting the other person too much when you want to end a love relationship.
People refer to its euphemism “accelerator” or “scientific internet surfing tool” otherwise.
Tencent helps Chinese students skip prohibitively low speeds for school websites overseas | Rita Liao | May 31, 2021 | TechCrunchIt’s the height of brand-as-euphemism—less about aspiration than sneaking unglamorous ideas into consumers’ heads with a friendly, accessible gloss.
The dialogue in Made for Love is great—funny, distinctive and observant about the way tech euphemisms can invade the physical world and change the way we think.
HBO Max's Offbeat Tech Satire Made for Love Goes Down Easy—Maybe Too Easy | Judy Berman | April 1, 2021 | Time
The euphemism most commonly used by convicts for dying is to “be taken off the count.”
The euphemism of “collateral damage” comes with that package.
Blood and War: The Hard Truth About ‘Boots on the Ground’ | Clive Irving | September 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnother week, another botched killing under the legal euphemism of capital punishment.
A commonly-used euphemism for this phenomenon is that the technology “is not yet mature.”
NTSB Doesn’t Think the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Is Safe Enough to Fly | Clive Irving | May 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBabylon could be a euphemism for Rome or it could just be a metaphor for imagined exile.
As there are many Corsican policemen on the Continent they use this euphemism to designate the ignoble calling they follow.
The Nabob | Alphonse DaudetHe reported having received information that Rosecrans was being reënforced, but in this again he may be suspected of a euphemism.
Stone's River | Wilson J. VanceFor market competition (as already quoted) "is a euphemism for railroad policy."
Railroads: Rates and Regulations | William Z. RipleyShe used terms regarding cathedrals and pictures for which boredom is the mildly polite euphemism.
The Mountebank | William J. LockeThe suggestion of smallpox appears to be the same euphemism which was resorted to in the cases of other exalted personages.
A History of Epidemics in Britain (Volume I of II) | Charles Creighton
British Dictionary definitions for euphemism
/ (ˈjuːfɪˌmɪzəm) /
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
Origin of euphemism
1Derived forms of euphemism
- euphemistic, adjective
- euphemistically, adverb
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
[ (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.
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