euphemize

English

Alternative forms

• euphemise

Etymology

euphem(ism) +‎ -ize

Verb

euphemize (third-person singular simple present euphemizes, present participle euphemizing, simple past and past participle euphemized)

1. (intransitive) To utter one or more euphemisms; to speak euphemistically.
   • 1999, A. J. Meier, “When Is a Woman a Lady?”, in American Speech, volume 74, number 1, page 63:

     There seems to be some support here for the claim that the older group felt a greater need to euphemize in the two contexts in question.

2. (transitive) To describe in euphemistic terms.
   • 1857, Charles Kingsley, chapter 2, in Two Years Ago:

     The pools in general are bedded with black mud, and creamed over with oily flakes which may proceed from the tar on the vessels' sides, and may also from "decomposing animal matter," as we euphemise it now-a-days.

Derived terms

• euphemizer/euphemiser
• euphemization/euphemisation

Translations

to utter one or more euphemisms; to speak euphemistically

• German: euphemisieren

to describe in euphemistic terms

• German: schönreden (de)

References

• “euphemize”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.