Euphemism Meaning. Euphemism n 1650s from Greek euphemismos use of a favorable word in place of an inauspicious one superstitious avoidance of words of ill-omen during religious ceremonies. The root of the term euphemism is eu which means good in Greek.
They can be used humorously or to downplay or mask a situation causing some to find the device deceitful or counterproductive. An example of a euphemism is someone saying passed away. The term early retirement is sometimes a euphemism for redundancy.
A word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive word.
When a phrase is used as a euphemism it often becomes a metaphor whose literal meaning is dropped. These days we tend to use euphemisms when talking about anything having to do with elimination of bodily waste. Euphemism is from Greek euphemismos meaning good speech. A euphemism YOO-fuh-miz-uhm is a form of figurative language.
