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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Just like when personal computers came out, but there’s a fantastic book by um, George Lakoff and Rafael Núñez about math and where ideas in math come from, via metaphors.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026
No need to get bogged down in questions about provenance, artfulness, long-form storytelling, or even metaphors.

— Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of metaphors

Noun

Colonial Americans had varying accents and used unfamiliar phrases and strange spellings.

— Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
In the years since his death, demos and early drafts sung in concert have shown how deliberately Elliott pared his lyrics back and tinkered with phrases, sometimes changing lines even after an album was finished.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of phrases

Noun

Trump has suggested the agreement's terms would prevent Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Singling out Jewish executives and describing them in terms lifted from centuries-old antisemitic conspiracy theories, while invoking Israel as the frame for that attack, is antisemitic.

— K.J. Yossman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of terms

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euphemism

euphemisms

euphemistic

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Style

“Euphemisms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/euphemisms. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of euphemisms

noun

Example Sentences

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