Daniel Balado-Lopez
Joseph Epstein, Plausible Prejudices, 1985Susan Seligson, Yankee, October 1990Grant Gallicho, Commonweal, 23 Mar. 2007
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There are times when circumstances call for a gentler or pleasanter word or phrase rather than the most direct one. Such words and phrases are known as euphemisms, with the word euphemism coming, fittingly, from the Greek word eúphēmos, meaning “sounding good.” Powder room, for example, is one of many euphemisms in the English language for a lavatory, aka the place where one goes when one requires the use of a toilet and sink. (Actually, we are hard pressed to find a non-euphemistic word for such a room; like powder room, the terms bathroom, restroom, and washroom all tiptoe around the often-primary reason one has for visiting it.) Similarly love handles is a euphemism for fatty bulges along the sides of one’s body at the waist, though as everyone who’s ever snuggled up to a loved one endowed with such bulges knows, love handles is a much better descriptor for what makes a person extra snuggly.
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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
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”
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Willmett and Harris are clearly uninterested in euphemisms, so there’s an exaggerated naivety to their lyrics.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026
Special military operation is Russia’s official euphemism for the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
Discussing why people use euphemisms online prepares children to pause and ask questions when unfamiliar terms appear.
—Sharlette A. Kellum, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for euphemism
Cite this Entry
“Euphemism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euphemism. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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euphemism
noun
