Euphemistic Meaning
/ˌjuːfəˈmɪstɪk/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjOf or pertaining to euphemism.
Sentence Examples
"Going to the little girl's room" is an euphemistic expression for "going to the toilet."
Most languages have euphemistic expressions to describe death and dying.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The politician used a ____ phrase to hide the harsh truth about the budget cut.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The general's ____ report downplayed the severity of the casualties during the battle.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English euphemism Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τῐκός (-tĭkós)bor. English -tic English euphemistic From euphemism + -tic.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Taking these cues, I rewrote and rewrote the proposal couching my problem in the bland, euphemistic language that I was rapidly learning is the lingua franca of the corporate world."
— 1988, Robert Jackall, “Chapter 1: Moral Probations, Old and New”, in Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers, Twentieth Anniversary edition, →ISBN, page 14:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The politician used a ____ phrase to hide the harsh truth about the budget cut.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The general's ____ report downplayed the severity of the casualties during the battle.