euphemism

C2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈjuː.fəˌmɪz.əm/ See IPA manual

Freq #24527

Meanings

1

noun
A mild or indirect word used in place of one that is harsh, blunt, or offensive.

"Passed away" is a common euphemism for "died."

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a mild or indirect word... codewordgenteelism

Opposites

dysphemismexpletive

Word family

Forms euphemisms

Derived forms malphemismyouthemism

Related forms euphemistic pseudonym

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”).

*bʰeh₂- Proto-Indo-European εὐφημισμός Ancient Greek

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Topics

Space, Position & Direction Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# euphemism

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈjuː.fəˌmɪz.əm/
**Frequency rank:** 24527

## Meanings
1. A mild or indirect word used in place of one that is harsh, blunt, or offensive.

## Examples
- "Passed away" is a common euphemism for "died."

## Antonyms
- dysphemism
- expletive

## Derived Forms
- malphemism
- youthemism

## Related Forms
- euphemistic
- pseudonym

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *bʰeh₂-
- Root: εὐφημισμός
- Affix: eu- - good

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Euphemism is 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”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include *bʰeh₂- (Proto-Indo-European) and εὐφημισμός (Ancient Greek). Current senses include a mild or indirect word used in place of one that is harsh, blunt, or offensive. The wider family includes derived forms such as malphemism and youthemism; related words such as euphemistic and pseudonym.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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