euphemism

English

Etymology

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

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

• Audio (US)

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Noun

euphemism (countable and uncountable, plural euphemisms)

1. (uncountable) The use of a word or phrase to replace another with one that is considered less offensive, blunt or vulgar than the word or phrase which it replaces.
   • 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:

     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 is used to replace 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?‎, 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

• perfumed terms of the time (rare)

Antonyms

• dysphemism
• expletive

Hyponyms

• minced oath

Derived terms

• euphemism treadmill
• youthemism

Related terms

• euphemistic
• pseudonym

Translations

Further reading

• euphemism on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Euphemism in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
• “euphemism”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “euphemism”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “euphemism”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.