Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Definition: Euphemism |
EuphemismNoun1. An inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "euphemism" was first used: 1656. (references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Elegance | Graceful, easy, readable, fluent, flowing, tripping; unaffected, natural, unlabored; mellifluous; euphonious, euphemism, euphemistic; numerose, rhythmical. |
Flattery | Voice of the charmer, mouth honor; lip homage; euphemism; unctuousness; Adjective: |
Ornament | Flourish; flowers of speech, flowers of rhetoric; frills of style, euphuism, euphemism. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Euphemism |
| English words defined with "euphemism": BM, bowel movement ♦ darn ♦ Euphemistical, euphemize ♦ heck ♦ leak ♦ making water, member, movement ♦ passing water, penis, Phallus ♦ road agent ♦ shoplifting, shrinkage, Story-teller ♦ wetting, White lie. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "euphemism": art photographs ♦ Blow Me ♦ From hence. (references) |
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Women | Syria | The law specifically provides for reduced sentences in "honor" crimes (a euphemism that refers to violent assaults with intent to murder against a female by a male for alleged sexual misconduct). (references) |
Morocco | However, such "honor crimes," a euphemism that refers to violent assaults with intent to commit murder against a female for her perceived immodest or defiant behavior, remain extremely rare in Morocco. (references) | |
Yemen | The Penal Code allows for leniency for persons guilty of committing a "crime against honor," a euphemism for violent assaults or killings committed against a female for her perceived immodest or defiant behavior. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Euphemism" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Euphemism" is used about 89 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 89 | 34,931 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
euphemism | 124 |
euphemism sex | 7 |
euphemism example | 7 |
death euphemism | 4 |
euphemism masturbation | 4 |
anal anal euphemism euphemism sex sex | 3 |
define euphemism | 3 |
euphemism penis | 3 |
english euphemism | 2 |
breast euphemism | 2 |
dictionary euphemism | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "euphemism"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | eufemizm. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | لطف التعبير. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | евфемизъм. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 雅语 (Euphemistic). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | eufemismus. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | euphémisme. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | euphemismus. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | ευφημισμόσ. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | לשון ס'י "ור, לשון קי". (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | szépítő kifejezés, eufémizmus. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | ungkapan pelembut. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | eufemismo. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 美称 (eulogistic name), ユーコン准州 (eugenics, eunos, European television satellite, Eutelsat, euthanasia, euthanasie, humor, submarine, U-boat, UFO, ufology, unidentified flying object, usance, usance bill, used car, user, user interface, user-friendly, users, utility, utility program, utility room, utopia, U-turn, youth, youth hostel, youth market, Yugoslavia, Yukon Territory). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | ユーフュミズ , びしょう (eulogistic name, infinitesimal, microscopic, slight wound, smile). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 완곡어법. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | lhiass-ennym (alias, by-name). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | euphemismay eupéptico. (various references) eufemism. (various references) эвфемизм. (various references) eufemizam. (various references) eufemismo, proceso eufemístico. (various references) eufemism. (various references) การใช้ถ้อยคำหรือ าษาที่สุ าพนุ่มนวลล"ความรุนแรงลง, ศัพท์หรือ าษาที่นุ่มนวล. (various references) edebikelâm, örtmece. (various references) евфемізм. (various references) uyển ngữ, lời nói trại. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Greek | 700 BCE-300 CE | euphemismos. (various references) |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | amplexus. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "euphemism": euphemisms. (additional references) | |
| |
"Euphemism" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: eupemism, euphamism, euphamizm, euphemisam, euphemise, euphemisim, euphemismm, euphemsism, euphemsm, euphenism, eupherism, euphermism, euphiemsm, euphimism, euphmism, euphomism, euphumism, euphymism, uphemism. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "euphemism" (pronounced yuw"fumi'zum) |
| 6 | -u m i' z u m | animism, dynamism, optimism, overoptimism, pessimism. |
| 5 | -m i' z u m | extremism. |
| 4 | -i' z u m | abolitionism, absenteeism, absolutism, activism, adventurism, agrarianism, alcoholism, altruism, amateurism, anachronism, aneurism, antagonism, aphorism, astigmatism, atavism, atheism, authoritarianism, autism, baptism, barbarism, bilingualism, bolshevism, boosterism, botulism, cannibalism, capitalism, catechism, centralism, chauvinism, classicism, collectivism, colonialism, commercialism, communism, conservatism, consumerism, corporatism, counterterrorism, creationism, criticism, cronyism, cubism, cynicism, dandyism, defeatism, deism, despotism, determinism, diamagnetism, diastrophism, dimorphism, dogmatism, Druidism, dualism, dwarfism, egalitarianism, egoism, egotism, electromagnetism, elitism, embolism, emotionalism, empiricism, entrepreneurialism, environmentalism, ergotism, eroticism, escapism, ethnocentrism, evangelism, expansionism, expressionism, factionalism, fanaticism, fascism, fatalism, favoritism, federalism, feminism, ferromagnetism, fetishism, feudalism, formalism, fundamentalism, futurism, geotropism, gnosticism, gradualism, hedonism, helotism, heroism, hooliganism, humanism, hypnotism, idealism, illusionism, imperialism, impressionism, incrementalism, individualism, intellectualism, internationalism, interventionism, Irredentism, isolationism, isomorphism, jingoism, journalism, leftism, legalism, lesbianism, liberalism, lyricism, magnetism, mannerism, masochism, materialism, mechanism, mercantilism, mesmerism, metabolism, methodism, microorganism, militarism, minimalism, modernism, monasticism, monetarism, monism, monotheism, moralism, multiculturalism, multilateralism, mutualism, mysticism, narcissism, nationalism, nativism, naturalism, negativism, nepotism, neutralism, nihilism, obstructionism, opportunism, organism, ostracism, pacifism, paganism, parallelism, parkinsonism, parochialism, pastoralism, paternalism, patriotism, perfectionism, pharisaism, pietism, plagiarism, pluralism, polymorphism, polytheism, populism, positivism, pragmatism, professionalism, protectionism, provincialism, puritanism, racialism, racism, radicalism, realism, recidivism, relativism, republicanism, revisionism, rheumatism, romanticism, sadism, satanism, sectarianism, secularism, sensationalism, separatism, sexism, skepticism, socialism, statism, stoicism, supernaturalism, surrealism, symbolism, synergism, territorialism, terrorism, theism, tokenism, totalitarianism, tourism, truism, unionism, vandalism, vegetarianism, vigilantism, voluntarism, volunteerism, voyeurism. |
| 3 | -z u m | bosom, careerism, chasm, cytoplasm, enthusiasm, iconoclasm, ism, microcosm, neoplasm, orgasm, phantasm, prism, sarcasm, schism, spasm. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "e-e-h-i-m-m-p-s-u" | |
-2 letters: imphees. | |
-3 letters: hempie, immesh, imphee. | |
-4 letters: emeus, hemes, hemps, humps, memes, mimes, mumps, peise, sheep, spume. | |
-5 letters: emes, emeu, emus, heme, hemp, hems, hies, hips, hues, hump, hums, imps, meme, mems, mesh, mime, mise, mump, mums, muse, mush, pees, pehs, phis, pies, pish, push, seem, seep, seme, semi, shim, ship, simp, sipe, spue, sump. | |
| Words containing the letters "e-e-h-i-m-m-p-s-u" | |
+1 letter: euphemisms. | |
+5 letters: hyperimmunizes. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)45 75 70 68 65 6D 69 73 6D |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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| American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)
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| Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)
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| Braille (1829, in France) (references)
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Morse Code (1836) (references). ..- .--. .... . -- .. ... -- |
| Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)
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Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01000101 01110101 01110000 01101000 01100101 01101101 01101001 01110011 01101101 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)E u p h e m i s m |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0045 0075 0070 0068 0065 006D 0069 0073 006D |
| British Sign Language (Fingerspelling, BSL; 1992, British Deaf Association Dictionary of British Sign Language) (references)
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Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)398782747179758579 |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Commercial 4. Quotations: Non-fiction | 5. Usage Frequency 6. Expressions: Internet 7. Translations: Modern 8. Translations: Ancient | 9. Derivations 10. Rhymes 11. Anagrams 12. Orthography | 13. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.