Euphemism in English literature and language denotes a specific group of phrases or perhaps a phrase which can be getting used for generations collectively to specific one thing unhappy, embarrassing, upsetting or disagreeable. The aim of utilizing euphemisms is principally to make one thing sound much less vital and annoying.
Euphemism is often used not directly to make an disagreeable factor extra acceptable make it extra well mannered. Euphemism is commonly utilized in English literature.
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70 Examples of Euphemisms That’ll Change Your Writing Model
You should utilize a euphemism to say one thing not directly and make it extra polished and sober. You may perceive euphemism that means higher by way of the examples which can be used colloquially. If you wish to change your writing model and make it extra literary, you should utilize the next euphemistic phrases:
- Joseph’s father left for his heavenly abode this morning
- John’s mom handed away two days in the past
- Jane belongs to a well-to-do household
- Jenny’s father is sort of well-off
- Josephine is between the roles
- Joseph doesn’t have a house. he’s now on the streets
- Russia and Ukraine have each suffered collateral damages because of the ongoing conflict
- David might take a mortgage from a financial institution solely after providing collateral
- Regardless of being a differently-abled man, Dan caught the thief
- Catherine is a bodily challenged lady
- Harrison is a mentally challenged man
- Joseph is struggling in his enterprise resulting from destructive money move
- Oliver was evicted from his dwelling for not paying the lease. He’s presently on the streets
- Orson is a big-boned man
- The Bristol jail let go of the thief when he accomplished his time period
- Samson is a well-fed man
- It can save you cash by shopping for a pre-owned automobile
- Resulting from accrued loss, the Harrison Firm resorted to shedding 100 staff
- Mac was telling tales to hide the reality
- Catherine dreamt of a rosy future on migrating to Australia
- Being hearing-impaired, Cynthia confronted quite a lot of issues
- Cyril is speech-impaired.
- Abraham is thought for his discuss talks within the village
- In his village, George is thought for his inform tales behavior
- Each the warring kings determined to bury the hatchet
- Rebels could possibly be defeated and arrested solely after an armed intervention
- Maria has simply misplaced her mom
- Marianne has gone to her sleep completely
- Our grandfather is not any extra with us
- Lily was a late bloomer however she did nicely within the remaining examination
- Lorie got here out with flying colors in her examination
- Mabel has the behavior of operating slightly behind so far as her workplace timing is anxious
- Harrison is at all times an outspoken man
- The federal government has determined to assist the underprivileged
- Grownup drinks are offered solely in bars
- McDonald is spendthrift
- McMahon is a high-rolling man. He spends lots.
- After shedding his job, Ramsay grew to become down-and-out
- For bread and butter, David determined emigrate to a different nation
- After her divorce, Mary grew to become a bit down within the dumps.
- To make each ends meet, Lucy took up a educating job
- Victor is ill-reputed within the village for his hole guarantees
- Vicky at all times blows his personal trumpet
- Victor ran out of all his cash
- Albert at all times sued the carrot and stick coverage for his egocentric positive aspects
- Don’t rent a half-baked lawyer
- The corporate is downsizing the workers to deal with losses
- Jack has simply been fired by the corporate
- Joseph despatched his supervisor to understand the excellent cost from Johnson
- Marianne is is a behavior of window-shopping
- Uncle John is growing older gracefully
- He’s including numbers (rising outdated)
- Boris is a seasoned cricket participant
- Jackson is well-fed. That’s the reason he’s placing on weight.
- The thief was despatched to a correction home (i.e. jail)
- The armed drive streamlined its personnel after touchdown on the conflict entrance.
- Erickson is difficult of listening to
- The court docket awarded capital punishment to Edward for the homicide he had dedicated two years in the past.
- Friedrich abandoned the troops
- Igor is slightly skinny on the highest (i.e. bald)
- He’s dumb as a stump
- He’s dumb as a doorknob
- He’s left empty-handed (i.e. left with no money)
- Josephine is having an extramarital affair
- Jill begged to ask for forgiveness, that was a slip of the tongue
- Being a thrifty lady, she saved lots for her outdated age
- Watch out for wardrobe malfunctions earlier than going to attend a grand gala occasion
- The membership members are merely speaking store, they do nothing
- Being an enormous mouth, none likes him within the membership
- McPherson is a high-rolling man.
Examples in On a regular basis Dialog
One of many beauties of the English language and literature is to make use of of innuendoes or some decorative phrases to construe a that means that will not sound very harsh to depict a sorry state of affairs.
That is why one thing is claimed euphemistically in colloquial language. Listed here are 10 examples of euphemistic phrases or phrases that we use in our day-to-day life:
i. My automobile ran out of petrol
ii. I’m dealing with my unhealthy days now (i.e. hardship)
iii. Joseph, it is best to at all times make the hey whereas the solar shines
iv. John, will they allow you to go after you could have dedicated this error?
v. Josephine grew to become slightly in poor health comfy on the occasion
vi. The spouse shouted at her husband to run the fireplace and residential, I want extra money
vii. Jack earns lots. He’s a person with a fats pockets
viii. Catherine was chilling out after her arduous work on the drama set
ix. No one within the dwelling trusts Henry as he’s very artistic with the reality (i.e. not telling the reality or liar)
x. Albert determined to alter his flat as he wanted elbow room.
Well-known Examples
There are some well-known euphemistically utilized phrases over the centuries. Some well-known euphemism examples are used for hundreds of years collectively. We’re itemizing beneath 10 such well-known examples:
i. Veni, Vidi Vici (I got here, I noticed and I conquered): That is an instance attributed to Julius Caesar. This has turn out to be a well-known saying or phrase to indicate a fast victory.
ii. Eureka: That is an interjection that means I’ve discovered and attributed to the Grecian scientist Archimedes. Although a Greek phrase, it’s used within the English language and literature.
iii. To beguile the time (Hamlet of William Shakespeare)
iv. Don’t ever name me mad, Mycroft. I’m not unhealthy. I’m simply…..nicely, otherwise moraled, that’s all (The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde.
v. “It’s actually an awfully easy operation, Jig,” the person mentioned. “It’s probably not an operation in any respect,” Earnest Hemmingway in Hills Like White Elephants
vi. “Maybe now we have been responsible of some terminological inexactitudes.” (Winston Churchill, not telling the precise fact)
vii. “The place the current time has latched itself on my tremulous keep,” (Thomas Hardy refers to demise in his poem Afterwards).
viii. One of many most interesting literary examples of euphemism is that of Sophocles. The poet makes use of euphemism in Oedipus, the King to discuss with outdated age as “Our Age…”.
This well-known instance is given beneath:
Priest
O ruler of my nation, Oedipus
you see our firm across the altar
you see our ages, a few of us like these
who can’t but fly far and a few of us
heavy with age; these kids are chosen
among the many younger and I the priest of Zeus.
On this well-known poem, the phrases like heavy with age and can’t but fly far are a few of the greatest examples of euphemism.
Work-Associated
You utilize a number of euphemistic phrases in your workplace, manufacturing unit and locations the place you’re employed. Principally you achieve this to keep away from saying one thing harshly or bluntly. You not directly specific the identical sense to sound it higher. Mostly used 10 such work-related euphemistic phrases are listed beneath:
i. Laid off from a job
ii. Senior citizen as a substitute of outdated
iii. Fabrication to imply a lie
iv. Compensation or remuneration to imply pay
v. Concern to indicate an issue
vi. Involved means apprehensive
vii. Restroom to indicate lavatory
viii. Upkeep workers to imply janitor
ix. Batting for you means your colleague supporting your case with the administration
x. Gatekeeper to indicate the particular person opening or closing the door
Monetary Euphemisms
Fairly often, some phrases are utilized in commerce, enterprise, commerce and monetary issues to down-tone a destructive that means. We’re itemizing 10 such most-used euphemistic phrases:
i. Damaging revenue: operating at a loss
ii. Bearish or Bear hug: within the inventory market to say downtrend in share costs
iii. Bullish pattern: within the inventory market to indicate rising costs of share
iv. Stagflation: stagnation or low progress within the financial system mixed with excessive inflationary pattern
v. Buck: invoice or forex observe
vi. Reduce Again: cut back workplace bills
vii. Chopping the nook: decreasing bills by saving on unproductive investments
viii. Stash money: conceal cash or park unlawful cash in offshore banks
ix. Shell Out: give a big sum of money
x. Spending spree: spend cash recklessly
Euphemisms for Loss of life & Dying
Loss of life is at all times a tragedy. Naturally, individuals are likely to keep away from mentioning the time period demise instantly and change this phrase with sure euphemistic phrases that sound much less tragic. Following are 10 such phrases used typically:
i. Bereaved
ii. Handed away
iii. Left for heavenly abode
iv. (Somebody is) now no extra
v. Kick the bucket
vi. (Somebody is) gone
vii. Left the mortal world or coil
viii. Meet somebody’s maker
ix. Everlasting sleep
x. (Somebody is) now not with us
Non secular Euphemisms
In faith, euphemistic phrases are used to tone down one thing harsh. 10 such euphemisms are given beneath:
i. Dogma
ii. Taboo
iii. Superstition
iv. Reformation
v. Non-believer
vi. Heathen
vii. Papist
viii. Theist
ix. Atheist
x. Agnostic
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Euphemism in Literature
The literary use of euphemism in English literature has been persevering with for hundreds of years collectively. It continues unabated. We’re giving beneath 5 examples of euphemism in literature:
i. In English literature, Stephen King is legendary for utilizing metaphors and euphemisms. One among his examples of euphemisms is: “Lodgepine Overview has gone to that nice author’s workshop within the sky. The forthcoming summer season subject would be the final.” As a substitute of writing plainly that his literary journal: “Lodgepine Overview is closing, he used the time period “…would be the final.”
ii. In his well-known ebook 1984, George Orwell used the time period Doublethink to indicate the distortion of information that politicians do to swimsuit their goal.
iii. George Orwell’s different well-known instance of the usage of euphemism was observed in his ebook Animal Farm. Within the ebook he writes: “In the meanwhile,” he explains, “it had been discovered essential to make a readjustment of rations.” Right here, readjustment means discount.
iv. George Orwell, in the identical ebook 1984, used a singular time period to indicate lifeless man. He merely wrote: The person ceased operations.”
v. J. R. Ward writes in his novel Love Everlasting:
“You’re a manipulator,”
“I like to think about myself extra as an end result engineer.”
Right here, the time period engineer is used as a celebration to a plot.
Bodily Features
Within the English language and literature, euphemism has a number of vital features. The 5 features are talked about beneath:
i. A option to narrate not directly (often a destructive factor)
ii. Utilizing synonymously however utilizing a literary sense to not directly narrate a destructive that means guarded in a not-so-unpleasant coating
iii. Metaphorical use is one other vital facet of its bodily operate
iv. Innuendo is one other main operate of it
v. Use sober language to depict one thing un-sober
Euphemism Examples for the Tactful Author
A tactful author, poet or essayist will use euphemisms to specific one thing discreetly and tactfully. The next 5 examples can present it:
i. An clever author will say: I’m sorry to listen to your mom left for her heavenly abode (to tactfully keep away from saying she has died)
ii. Alex is difficult of listening to. Therefore, it’s essential to say one thing loudly to him (that is to say that Alex is deaf or semi-deaf)
iii. Raymond shied away from committing himself to Rosy (shrink back is to imply keep away from one thing)
iv. Joseph is mentally deranged (to indicate he’s mad)
v. Jill is in a behavior of telling tales.
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Record of Most Generally Used Euphemisms
Figurative language is used to make harsher that means delicate. We will cite the next 10 examples of it:
i. Sofa potato: lazy
ii. Put to sleep: euthanize somebody
iii. Operating slightly behind: late
iv. Properly-off: wealthy
v. Golden years: outdated age
vi. Golden age: an excellent time for civilization, a metropolis or nation
vii. Curvy: fats
viii. Free tongue: an individual utilizing slang
ix. To blow one’s personal trumpet: brag, tall discuss oneself
x. Decreased to ashes: burnt down or one thing led to a tragic method
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Incessantly Requested Questions
Reply: The aim is to melt a harsh that means to make it much less touching or have a much less opposed impact.
Reply: Euphemism is getting for hundreds of years collectively within the English language and literature. It’s getting used not less than for the final 1200 years.
Reply: Joseph wanted a automobile. However he was operating wanting shopping for a brand new automobile. Therefore, he opted for a second-hand one.