Wiktionary

euphemism

English

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Etymology

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Recorded since 1656; from Ancient Greek εὐφημισμός (euphēmismós), from εὐφημίζω (euphēmízō), from εὔφημος (eúphēmos, “uttering sound of good omen, abstaining from inauspicious words”), from εὖ (eû, “well”) + φήμη (phḗmē, “a voice, a prophetic voice, rumor, talk”), from φημί (phēmí, “to speak, say”).

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: yoo͞ʹfə-mĭz'əm; IPA(key): /ˈjuː.fəˌmɪz.əm/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

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Examples

euphemism (countable and uncountable, plural euphemisms)

  1. (uncountable) The use of a word or phrase to replace another one that is considered more offensive, blunt or vulgar than the word or phrase by which it is replaced.
    • a. 1803, James Beattie, “Of Rhetorick”, in Elements of Moral Science, volume III, Philadelphia: Hopkins and Earle, published 1809, section I, page 118:
      Akin to it [litotes] is euphemism, which may be applied to the same purpose.
    • 2019 July 26, David J. Ulin, “Op-Ed: I’m Jewish and I don’t say this lightly: ‘Never again’ is right now in America”, in LA Times‎[1]:
      In 1946, George Orwell addressed the relationship of language to reality and suggested that euphemism, not imperfect analogy, was the real danger. If we don’t use shocking language to describe a shocking circumstance, can we truly recognize what is happening?
  2. (countable) A word or phrase that replaces another in this way.
    • a. 1803, James Beattie, “Of Rhetorick”, in Elements of Moral Science, volume III, Philadelphia: Hopkins and Earle, published 1809, section I, page 118:
      When it is said of the martyr St. Stephen, that “he fell asleep,” instead of—he died, the euphemism partakes of the nature of metaphor, intimating a resemblance between sleep and the death of such a person.
    • 2004, George Carlin, “EUPHEMISMS: It's a Whole New Language”, in When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?‎[2], New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 6:
      Euphemistic language turns up in many areas of American life in a variety of situations. Not all euphemisms are alike, but they have one thing in common: They obscure meaning rather than enhance it; they shade the truth.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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