euphemism

noun

eu·​phe·​mism ˈyü-fə-ˌmi-zəm 

: the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant

also : the expression so substituted

euphemist

ˈyü-fə-mist 

noun

euphemistic

ˌyü-fə-ˈmi-stik 

adjective

euphemistically

ˌyü-fə-ˈmi-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

Euphemism comes from Greek eúphēmos, which means "uttering sounds of good omen," "fair-sounding," or "auspicious." The first part of that root is the prefix eu-, meaning "good."  The second part is phēmos, a Greek word for "speech."

Did you know?

How and Why We Use Euphemisms

Euphemisms can take different forms, but they all involve substituting a word or phrase considered to be less offensive than another. The substituted word might, for example, be viewed as a less coarse choice, as when dang or darn is used instead of damn or damned. Or it might replace a word viewed as insulting to a religious figure, such as the various euphemisms for God (gad, gadzooks, gosh) or Jesus (gee, jeepers, jeez). A euphemism may also consist of an indirect softening phrase that is substituted for the straightforward naming of something unpalatable. Thus, we hear of people being “let go” rather than “fired”; civilians killed in war described as “collateral damage”; or someone who has died having “kicked the bucket,” “passed away, “given up the ghost,” or “joined one’s ancestors.”

Examples of euphemism in a Sentence

Cougar is the euphemism for a woman who has reached mid-life, who is single, financially secure and on the lookout for relationships with younger men—as in "prey." —Kerry Gold, Vancouver Sun, 17 Feb. 2001

Spin is sometimes dismissed as a simple euphemism for lying. But it's actually something more insidious: indifference to the truth. —Michael Kinsley, Time, 25 Dec. 2000–1 Jan. 2001

"Invigorating" is the euphemism we use most often to describe the chilly waters off the coast, but knowledgeable Maine boaters know where to find the warmer, tidal waters just right for a midsummer dip. —Ken Textor, Down East, August 2001

If you are "let go," "separated," "terminated" or whatever euphemism the company uses for "clean-out-your-desk-and-be-gone," remember that you do have rights. —Elsie Maclay, First for Women, July 1989

using “eliminate” as a euphemism for “kill”

Recent Examples on the Web

The media has deployed every euphemism imaginable to describe the former president’s public usage of bad words like ****, **** and ****. —Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024

But the rest has been, in the British political euphemism of the moment, missteps. —Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2024

This kind of shifting of meaning was called the euphemism cycle by linguist Sharon Henderson Taylor in 1974, and later renamed the euphemism treadmill by psycholinguist Stephen Pinker in 1994. —Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

But perhaps above all, the reforms were designed to give the government unfettered power to extend sovereignty—a euphemism for annexation—over the West Bank, a longtime goal of Israel’s far right. —Dahlia Scheindlin, Foreign Affairs, 27 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin euphēmismus, borrowed from Greek euphēmismós "substitution of an auspicious word for an inauspicious one," from euphēmízesthai "to use words of good omen" (from eúphēmos "uttering sounds of good omen, fair-sounding, auspicious" + -izesthai, middle voice of -izein -ize) + -ismos -ism; eúphēmos from eu- eu- + -phēmos, nominal derivative, with a suffixal -m-, from the base of phēmí, phánai "to say, speak" — more at ban entry 1

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

euphemism

noun

eu·​phe·​mism ˈyü-fə-ˌmiz-əm 

: the substitution of a mild or pleasant expression for one that is too strong or unpleasant

also : a mild or pleasant expression so substituted

"pass away" is a widely used euphemism for die

euphemistic

ˌyü-fə-ˈmis-tik 

adjective

euphemistically

-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb