When I was a child, I thought that an euphemism was another word for innuendo. As you’ll come to see later in this article, it’s not so surprising that I would have thought that. This article is all about euphemisms. It’s going to cover what exactly an euphemism is, give you some examples, how best to use them, and answer your most frequently asked questions on the subject.
And without further ado, let’s get straight to it.
What is an euphemism?
An euphemism is basically an indirect word (or expression) substituted for another one that would normally be considered to be too blunt to use, especially when referring to something unpleasant, embarrassing, or taboo.
People use euphemisms in conversation and in writing to approach delicate topics that should not be subjected to rude, crude or blunt remarks. Euphemisms present a way of broaching difficult subjects such as death, sex, job loss, unemployment, sexuality, bodily functions, and more.
A common example of an euphemism is saying ‘sleeping with’ when what you really mean is ‘having sex with’.
The word ‘euphemism’ is pronounced ‘yoo-fu-miz-uhm’ It comes from the Greek eúphēmos, which translates as ‘uttering sounds of good omen’. ‘Euphemism’ is an old word, dating back to at least mid-17th century, but people may have used euphemisms before this date. Most languages have some euphemisms.
The opposite of an euphemism is a dysphemism, which is a turn of phrase that is more harsh or blunt than the original phrase it is being replaced with.
15 examples of euphemisms
Here follows 15 examples of euphemisms and what they really mean. This should help you to get a gist of what euphemisms are and how they work.
Euphemisms for sex:
- Making love
- Getting freaky
- Getting fresh
- Get lucky
- Sleep together
- Knocking boots
Euphemisms for death:
- Kicked the bucket
- KIA (for Killed in action)
- Passed on
- Passed away
- In a better place (heaven etc.)
- Gone to the other side
Euphemisms for money:
- Breadwinner
- Bringing home the bacon
- Living comfortably
Euphemisms vs other figures of speech
Euphemism vs metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares one thing against another. They can be similar to euphemisms, because in a euphemism one turn of phrase is substituted for another. For example by saying that someone has ’gone to the other side’ instead of saying that someone ‘has died’. These two ideas are being compared, but not explicitly the way metaphors usually are.
Euphemism vs idiom
An idiom is a turn of phrase which cannot be understood by the individual words alone, only as whole. Many euphemisms, that is, phrases used to soften the blow of a remark, are also idioms. That said however, not all idioms are necessarily euphemisms, since not all idioms are designed to refer to something that can be difficult or inappropriate to talk about explicitly.
Types of euphemisms
There are 7 different types of euphemism. Here’s a quick run-down of them for you.
Abstraction
Abstractions are euphemisms that are intended to distance people from unpleasant or embarrassing truths. For example, a celebrity who cancels their performance might be described as ‘suffering from exhaustion’ when they may instead be suffering with burnout, or even substance misuse.
Indirection
Indirect euphemisms are designed to replace an explicit description of an action. A daughter speaking to her parents may refer to her relationship with someone as ‘sleeping with [them]’ rather than say ‘having sex with [them]’.
Litotes
A litote downplays a topic to soften its impact. For instance, someone might say ‘not exactly poor’ as opposed to saying that someone’s ‘filthy rich’.
Mispronunciation
A mispronounced euphemism is when a word or phrase is deliberately mispronounced, but you can guess what the real word is that’s being referred to. ‘Frigging’ is one such example of a mispronunciation euphemism.
Modification
The modification type of euphemism occurs when an offensive noun transformed by turning it into an adjective, for example by saying that someone has narcissistic tendencies instead of calling someone an outright narcissist.
Personification
An example of personification would be giving a person’s name to something that isn’t a person’s name, such as referring to going to a toilet as going to the ‘John’.
Slang
Slang is a term for relaxed, casual, and very informal language. The formal word for ‘slang’ is ‘colloquialism’. Many euphemisms are considered to be slang.
Euphemisms vs political correctness
The purpose of euphemisms is to make people taking part in, or perhaps overhearing a conversation to feel sufficiently comfortable. It is generally considered polite, courteous and politically correct to use euphemism.
That said, however, politically correct terms are not always synonymous with euphemisms. This is because politically correct language does not have to use figurative language, that is, it does not have to avoid direct language. In contrast, euphemisms rely entirely on figurative language. It alludes to something rather than stating it outright.
Of course, it’s always important and considerate to use the correct language to be welcoming and inclusive, and to avoid terminology that is derogatory or has overtly negative connotations.
How best to use euphemisms
When it comes to euphemisms, the key is knowing when to use them, and when to avoid them.
When to use euphemisms
Euphemisms are appropriate when used in a conversational tone to broach a subject without being too blunt or outright. For example a vet might explain that someone’s pet ‘could not be saved’ rather than blurt out that their pet has died.
Euphemisms are also valuable when speaking with another adult about something sex related when there happens to be a young child present.
A further example may include describing someone who cannot technically be fired from their job (but ought to be fired due to inappropriate behaviour) as having ‘taken early retirement’.
When you are speaking with someone who you don’t know very well, it’s almost always best to use euphemisms rather than more vulgar terminology.
When not to use euphemisms
You should avoid using euphemisms when precision and clarity is expected of you. For example, if you have a disability for which your employer should make reasonable adjustments to enable you to work for them, this will require you to say explicitly what your disability is.
If you were to use an euphemism inappropriately, you may come across as deceitful or dishonest. It is not appropriate to use euphemisms on a witness stand in a courtroom for example. Similarly, you should also be specific when being interviewed by police or by a figure of authority. Euphemisms are the language of evasion after all, because they are inherently indirect.
Some neurodivergent people, especially children, might struggle to understand what you mean if you were to use indirect language in front of them, and this could therefore cause confusion.
Many well-known English euphemisms are idioms, which means that you cannot deduce the meaning of the phrase from the individual words alone. This means that non-native English speakers might not be familiar with the phrase, and this could cause confusion.
FAQ
How do you explain euphemism to a child?
You can explain to children that sometimes there is more than one way to say something, and sometimes the best way to say something is the ‘kind’ way, that is less likely to make the listener or reader feel sad, embarrassed or uncomfortable.
How are euphemisms different from understatements?
Euphemisms can be a form of understatement because they can downplay the harshness of a situation. That being said however, saying that someone has ‘been let go’ is an understatement for ‘been fired’, but saying that someone has ‘passed away’ is an euphemism, and not an understatement. A euphemism is a very specific use of diminishing language, whereas understatement is a much broader figure of speech.
How is double entendre different from euphemism?
A double entendre is a figure of speech that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacceptable, or offensive to state directly. People often interpret a double entendre as a euphemism.
Final word
So, to sum up, an euphemism is an indirect word (or expression) substituted for another one that would normally be considered to be too blunt or crude to use. Returning to reflect on the introduction once more, while innuendo is always a slightly deceitful way of referring to something sexual, this isn’t always the case for euphemisms, which can often refer to everyday, non-sexual matters.
It’s often helpful to use euphemisms as opposed to more direct or vulgar language, but similarly there are also times when its use is inappropriate or unhelpful. But on a whole euphemisms are generally a good thing, helping people to feel comfortable discussing difficult subjects.
If you ever find yourself in doubt about whether to use an euphemism or not, it is usually best to use it. If the person you’re speaking with appears not to understand the euphemism, then you may have to be more direct. But always aim to be polite.