euphemism
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
English - January 15, 2022 05:00 - 1 minute - 2.96 MB - ★★★★ - 1.1K ratingsBooks Arts Education Language Learning Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2022 is:
euphemism \YOO-fuh-miz-um\ noun
A euphemism is an agreeable or inoffensive word or phrase that is used instead of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant.
// The euphemism "passed on" is often used to communicate the unpleasant news that someone has "died."
Examples:
"We are constantly reminded that pests (a euphemism for rats and racoons) feed off food scraps in unsecured trash cans." — The Brookline (Massachusetts) TAB, 9 Dec. 2021
Did you know?
Euphemism comes from Greek eúphēmos, which means "uttering sounds of good omen," "fair-sounding," or "auspicious." The first part of that root is the prefix eu-, meaning "good." The second part is phēmos, a Greek word for "speech."