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Synonyms for euphemisms


Grammar : Noun
Spell : yoo-fuh-miz-uh m
Phonetic Transcription : ˈyu fəˌmɪz əm



Définition of euphemisms

Origin :
  • 1650s, from Greek euphemismos "use of a favorable word in place of an inauspicious one," from euphemizein "speak with fair words, use words of good omen," from eu- "good" (see eu-) + pheme "speaking," from phanai "speak" (see fame (n.)).
  • In ancient Greece, the superstitious avoidance of words of ill-omen during religious ceremonies, or substitutions such as Eumenides "the Gracious Ones" for the Furies (see also Euxine). In English, a rhetorical term at first; broader sense of "choosing a less distasteful word or phrase than the one meant" is first attested 1793. Related: Euphemistic; euphemistically.
  • noun nice way of saying something
Example sentences :
  • He wondered if he could soften the news, but it did not lend itself to euphemisms.
  • Extract from : « Cynthia » by Leonard Merrick
  • Such offences have gathered a whole throng of euphemisms about them.
  • Extract from : « Stories That Words Tell Us » by Elizabeth O'Neill
  • At the same time he was not inclined to any euphemisms that would seem to bring Felix into the lists with himself.
  • Extract from : « Felix Holt, The Radical » by George Eliot
  • These euphemisms are the soul of the English language, the outcome of the cool British temperament.
  • Extract from : « English Pharisees and French Crocodiles » by Max O'Rell
  • Cunningham suggests that "wise" was "one of the thousand and one euphemisms for 'inebriated.'"
  • Extract from : « The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3) » by Christopher Marlowe
  • The study of euphemisms can teach us much about men's thoughts and manners in the past and the present.
  • Extract from : « Stories That Words Tell Us » by Elizabeth O'Neill
  • She wrote her name, and Mr. Casey's name, and could find no scope for euphemisms regarding the nature of the interview she sought.
  • Extract from : « One Man's View » by Leonard Merrick
  • This is pretty strong; and "sophistry" and "time-serving" are only euphemisms for lying in preaching and practice.
  • Extract from : « Flowers of Freethought » by George W. Foote
  • It should be added that euphemisms for menstruation are not confined to Europe, and are found among savages.
  • Extract from : « Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 1 (of 6) » by Havelock Ellis
  • Reference has been made to the euphemisms in use among all peoples to avoid pronouncing the name of the devil.
  • Extract from : « British Goblins » by Wirt Sikes

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Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019