英和和英

発音

• enPR: yoo͞ʹfə-mĭz'əm; IPA: /ˈjuː.fəˌmɪz.əm/, /ˌjyːˈfɛmizm̩/

名詞

euphemism (countable and uncountable, plural euphemisms)

1. (uncountable) The use of a word or phrase to replace another one that is more offensive, blunt or vulgar.
   • a. 1803, James Beattie, “Of Rhetorick”, in Elements of Moral Science, volume III, Philadelphia: Hopkins and Earle, published 1809, section I, page 118:

     Akin to it [litotes] is euphemism, which may be applied to the same purpose.

   • 2019 July 26, David J. Ulin, “Op-Ed: I’m Jewish and I don’t say this lightly: ‘Never again’ is right now in America”, in LA Times‎:

     In 1946, George Orwell addressed the relationship of language to reality and suggested that euphemism, not imperfect analogy, was the real danger. If we don’t use shocking language to describe a shocking circumstance, can we truly recognize what is happening?

2. (countable) A word or phrase that replaces another in this way.

   Synonyms: codeword, genteelism

   • a. 1803, James Beattie, “Of Rhetorick”, in Elements of Moral Science, volume III, Philadelphia: Hopkins and Earle, published 1809, section I, page 118:

     When it is said of the martyr St. Stephen, that “he fell asleep,” instead of—he died, the euphemism partakes of the nature of metaphor, intimating a resemblance between sleep and the death of such a person.

   • 2004, George Carlin, “EUPHEMISMS: It's a Whole New Language”, in When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?‎, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 6:

     Euphemistic language turns up in many areas of American life in a variety of situations. Not all euphemisms are alike, but they have one thing in common: They obscure meaning rather than enhance it; they shade the truth.

同意語

• perfumed terms of the time (rare)

反意語

• dysphemism
• expletive

下位語

• minced oath

派生語

関連する語

• euphemistic
• pseudonym

Further reading

• euphemism on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Category:English euphemisms
• Euphemism in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
• “euphemism”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “euphemism”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “euphemism”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.