If you have a friend who was recently laid off, you might describe them as “between jobs” instead of as “unemployed.” This swap is called a euphemism — a form of figurative language used to discuss sensitive, negative, or taboo topics in a gentler or more socially acceptable way.
Euphemisms are used in all styles of speech, from everyday conversation to formal communication. They tend to be kinder, milder, and less abrasive than the alternatives, or, at the very least, more indirect or vague in meaning. A euphemism can soften the impact of a negative or sensitive topic. For instance, instead of saying someone is broke, you might say they’re “in a rough patch financially,” which has a more polite tone. Similarly, “let go” often replaces “fired,” and if you back out of something, you might say you “threw in the towel” instead of “quit.” In the same sense, “oh my gosh” often replaces a potentially offensive use of religious figures. Euphemisms such as “darn,” “fudge,” “heck,” and “shoot” are stand-ins for curse words — we’ll let you guess the corresponding profanities.
Although euphemisms are incredibly popular in modern dialogue, they aren’t new. The term “euphemism” entered the English language around 1650, derived from the Greek word euphemismos, meaning “use of a favorable word in place of an inauspicious one, superstitious avoidance of words of ill-omen during religious ceremonies.” By the end of the 18th century, “euphemism” gained a broader usage of “choosing a less distasteful word or phrase than the one meant,” a definition that still holds true today.
Euphemisms aren’t exclusively used in harsh or embarrassing situations; they can also create variety, humor, or irony. If you come home to a shriveled-up houseplant post-vacation, it’s perfectly acceptable to say, “It died,” but you might lightheartedly use the idiomatic euphemism “It kicked the bucket” instead. “Kicked the bucket” is both an idiom (a phrase that means something different from how it sounds) and a euphemism serving as a less direct way of saying something died.
