Definitions
an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh
Word origin
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”).
Used in a sentence
“Akin to it [litotes] is euphemism, which may be applied to the same purpose.”
“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.”
“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.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Softer phrase”9 letters
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