EUPHEMISMS Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

euphemisms

noun

plural of euphemism

as in metaphors

a mild or pleasant word group of words that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive using "eliminate" as a euphemism for "kill" She spoke in euphemisms when recounting the expletive-laden tirade.

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

dysphemisms

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of euphemisms Sam Roberts, a longtime obituarist for the New York Times, wants to banish the euphemisms that attend death. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Tshabalala’s bluntness about the economic cost is the rare honest signal here; business will not be pacified by euphemisms. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 10 July 2026 Willmett and Harris are clearly uninterested in euphemisms, so there’s an exaggerated naivety to their lyrics. — Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026 Discussing why people use euphemisms online prepares children to pause and ask questions when unfamiliar terms appear. — Sharlette A. Kellum, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026 When Oklahoma missed out on the NCAA Tournament, AD Roger Denny announced that coach Porter Moser was staying and offered up one of the great euphemisms of this era. — Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026 Now there were no euphemisms for Germany’s leader. — Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026 Some of the suspects try to minimize their actions with euphemisms or paraphrases; others do so with explanations that the prosecutors find utterly implausible. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026 In a year of cancellations and euphemisms, the city mounted a counterprogram that was quietly insurrectionary, stubbornly joyous. — The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for euphemisms

Noun

Still, his comedy is born of a remarkable sense of his own rootedness, and houses have served him well as metaphors.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Both the black box and kill switch are what cognitive linguist George Lakoff and philosopher Mark Johnson call structural metaphors.

— Trent Wintermeier, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of metaphors

Noun

During Lula's first two terms in office, from 2003 to 2010, Brazil's economy boomed, and millions of Brazilians rose out of poverty.

— Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
Vucic was seeking to become Serbia's prime minister after serving two near-full terms as president.

— JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of terms

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euphemism

euphemisms

euphemistic

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“Euphemisms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/euphemisms. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of euphemisms

noun

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