Euphemism: Literary Definition and Examples for Writers

by Robert Harrell | 17 comments

If you've ever needed to find an unoffensive or kind way to deliver hard news, you've needed a euphemism. But why would an author need one? Let's look at a euphemism literary definition and some examples of euphemism.

Euphemism Literary Definition by gravestone

Euphemistic language is everywhere in polite society, used to speak and write sensitively about taboo subjects or to tackle difficult situations.

You may have heard of a jail or prison referred to as a correctional facility which softens the reality.

Parents sometimes refer to “the birds and the bees” as a euphemism for sex when speaking to their kids.

Euphemisms can make it both easier and harder to talk about uncomfortable topics, so they can be used in interesting ways in literature.

Definition Literary Euphemism

Derived from Greek eu, “good,” plus phēmē, “speech,” a euphemism is good speech. But not just any good speech. It's good speech that replaces words we find distasteful or uncomfortable.

Webster tells us that euphemism is “the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant” and “the expression so substituted.”

Euphemisms are figures of speech that avoid stating something directly and plainly if the plain word is somehow “taboo.” We use them in everyday speech for various reasons.

Euphemism examples

Governments are masterful at cloaking unpleasant actions in innocuous-sounding language.

Enhanced interrogation techniques are, to put it bluntly, torture.

Collateral damage refers to the killing to noncombatants during a military action, which is itself a euphemism for war.

Ordinary people also use euphemisms to avoid words they don't wish to say or write. A recent coinage is Netflix and chill as a substitute for “have sex.”

Others may not want to admit they spent the morning vomiting into the toilet (which, btw, is itself a euphemism). Instead, they worshipped before the porcelain altar, lost their cookies, or tossed their breakfast.

Types of euphemisms

We can classify euphemisms by both purpose and formation method.

One purpose of euphemism is avoidance, i.e., we refrain from saying the taboo word and say something else.

While we often associate this with topics like death, sex, and bodily functions, another purpose is to avoid offending the deity.

Euphemisms can be created for well-intentioned purposes., but they can also be created to obfuscate, confuse, deceive, or deny.

A second purpose of euphemisms is to soften or downplay the gravity of large-scale injustices, such as war crimes, and thus avoid censure.

As noted above, governments employ euphemisms regularly for this purpose. The Nazis hid their genocide of Jews, Slavs, and others in bureaucratic language. Special military operations, or “special ops,” are illegal martial actions such as the unwarranted, unethical invasion of another country.

Finally, euphemisms may be a rhetorical device to change the way people feel about a topic.

We form euphemisms through understatement, substitution, metaphor, slang, foreign words, periphrasis or circumlocution, and doublespeak.

Common euphemisms

Three of the main areas for euphemisms in everyday life are death, sex, and the body, whether its parts or its actions.

For example, many people don't say someone has died; they have passed on, gone to their reward, gone to meet their Maker, kicked the bucket, or some other phrase.

Besides Netflix and chill, people shack up, sleep together (although sleep is not normally what they do), roll in the hay, or make whoopee.

Men possess family jewels, junk, a package, and other items instead of genitalia, while women have a honey pot, lady parts, a flower, etc. Both have private parts, naughty bits, nether regions, and so forth.

Physical appearance also produces many euphemisms. Your friend might be vertically challenged rather than short or plus-sized instead of fat.

Politics provide us with many euphemisms, often to avoid public judgment for unethical and immoral acts. In addition to enhanced interrogation techniques, collateral damage, and military action, we now state alternative facts rather than telling lies.

When to use euphemisms

Most of the time, we use euphemisms for two reasons, either to avoid offending someone or to hide something. If your mother or grandmother would be scandalized by certain words, by all means replace them with  a euphemism.

Obscenity (explicit sexual or scatological words and images), vulgarity (crude or coarse expressions instead of neutral ones), and profanity (religious terms used in an irreligious way) are offensive to many. Use a euphemism instead for politeness' sake.

Of course, if you intend to insult and offend someone, that's another matter.

When to avoid euphemisms

Euphemisms can be vehicles of deceit, so avoid them when they hide important but uncomfortable truths. They also enable people to minimize responsibility and cognitive dissonance for reprehensible actions.

The people who called torture enhanced interrogation techniques knew what they were doing and knew that it was wrong.

By calling it something else, they eased their consciences over the divide between maintaining they were upstanding protectors of the moral order and committing inhuman and inhumane criminal acts.

Purveyors of alternative facts are well aware that they are spouting lies, but the euphemism softens the force of both personal and societal censure.

Avoid these sorts of euphemisms.

Euphemism in Film

Euphemisms can be entertaining in their own right. Everyone who's seen the original Anchorman movie knows about Ron Burgundy's affinity for unusual substitutions for profanity (“Great Odin's raven!” and “Son of a bee sting!” being just two examples—the first one reminding me of Perry White's “Great Caesar's Ghost!” in the old Superman comics).

A Christmas Story has the famous “Oh fudge” scene, which the narrator then explains was not the word he used.

Not every substitution of a figurative term for a more neutral one is a euphemism. Sometimes they are slurs. In the Harry Potter series, the word Muggle can be considered a unique wizard euphemism for a human without the ability to perform magic. Mudblood, on the other hand, is a slur, a dysphemism, rather than euphemism.

Euphemisms in Literature

Literature gives us many euphemisms. The Bible provides us with sleep and give up the ghost for death and know for sexual intercourse.

Shakespeare uses euphemisms throughout his works. In “The Scottish Play” (a euphemism for Macbeth), Lady Macbeth declares that Duncan “must be provided for,” i.e, killed. She sounds like an early Mafiosa.

In his novel, 1984, George Orwell shows us how euphemisms disguise the truth. His Ministry of Truth tells lies through propaganda. The Ministry of peace concerns itself with war. The Ministry of Love has nothing to do with affection. And the Ministry of Plenty oversees a rationing system based on lack.

Euphemisms are rife in literature, and it would be good to study them.

How Writers Can Use Euphemism

Euphemisms have several uses in your writing.

You can avoid taboos that would offend your readers (or their parents), often a consideration in children's, Middle Grade, and Young Adult literature. Euphemisms help with world building because they illuminate the taboos of your world and the inhabitants' avoidance techniques. They can be used to reveal character and provide humor, especially if you contrast blunt speech with euphemisms.

Because euphemisms are so powerful, use them with care.

What's your favorite euphemism? Share in the comments.

PRACTICE

Write for fifteen minutes using as many euphemisms as you can. Try to use a variety of euphemism categories as well (profanity, violence, politeness, etc.).

Alternatively, peruse one of your favorite books and make a list of its euphemisms. Categorize the euphemisms you find.

Post your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop and leave feedback for a few other writers. 

Robert Harrell

Robert Harrell is a grammar nerd—and a language teacher, medieval re-creationist, musician, traveler, and theologian. His interests inform his stories and coaching. Published in German, Spanish, and French, with two English-language YA/NA series underway, Robert is pursuing The Write Practice Book Coach Certification to help other writers excel. Learn more at his website.

17 Comments

  1. purple dragon

    Let me recommend a re-read of Harry Potter, or even better, listen to the audiobooks read by fantastic actor Jim Dale. “Muggle” did not seem to me to have either a positive or negative connotation, and was used with warm tones of voice (Arthur Weasley, for example, admiring Muggle ingenuity) and icy ones (Draco Malfoy, sneering at Harry’s aunt and uncle). “Mudblood,” in contrast, is the Wizarding equivalent of the N-word – certainly NOT a euphemism.

    Reply
  2. Eleanor Keisman

    I wonder if anyone has any thoughts about this: My favourite poet is E.E. Cummings, and after reading this article, it seems to me that he employs many euphemisms in his poems. Take, for example, “In Just” and “Somewhere I Have Never Travelled” as examples. Would these be considered more metaphorical or are there elements of euphemisms in them? Anyone have any thoughts on this? Agree? Disagree? I’m interested in all points of view 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
    • 709writer

      I’ll have to check those out!

    • 709writer

      I read “In Just”, and I don’t really know what it means, but in “Somewhere I Have Never Travelled”, it sounds like the object he’s referring to is love. I could be wrong… but then again, poets often write their poems so they can be interpreted in a number of different ways. Good conversation starter!

    • Avril

      Eleanor, thank you for mentioning these poems. I looked them up and read them, and really enjoyed ee cummings. I am no poetry expert, yet I feel cummings, and poets in general, do not use euphemism. Poetry uses symbolism, allegory, and metaphor to get at the truth. Euphemism is a side stepping of truth. For instance, cummings says metaphorically, “You open and close me.” If he used euphemism, he’d say, “I enjoy our special friendship.” The exception might be love poems of previous eras, when sex could not be openly discussed in published materials. I am imagining that then a poet would have employed euphemism in referring to a lover.

  3. 709writer

    Euphemisms are pretty sweet sometimes. But the word “euphemism” can also actually be a euphemism. A euphemism is often just another word for “politically correct”. : )

    When the briefing was over, Shadow saluted to Commander Tower and filed out of the room with Rouge behind him.

    He looked at the paper in his hand, skimming over the assignment’s summary. It was a brief security task. He would have custody of the girl, Julia Knight, until it was safe to question her formally.

    “Looks like you got the assignment, huh,” a voice said from his left.

    Shadow glanced at Kacey Stone. The agent stood leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

    “Yeah,” Shadow said, and kept walking.

    “Watching a little girl?”

    Shadow didn’t break his stride. “Yeah.”

    “Seems like the person who got the job should be a little more…qualified.”

    Shadow stopped in the hallway. His jaw tightened.

    “Why don’t you knock it off, Kacey?” Rouge said, facing the agent with her hands on her hips. “Shadow’s the best agent for the job.” A little smirk played around her mouth. “You’re just jealous, aren’t you, honey?”

    “Jealous?” Kacey pushed off the wall and blew out a breath. “Of him?” He held out his hand to indicate Shadow.

    “Commander Tower chose me for this assignment because he knows I’ll protect that girl with my life,” Shadow said, turning around. “Do you disagree?”

    Kacey glanced at his watch, then shoved his hands into his pockets. “Having custody of a thirteen-year-old girl just doesn’t seem to fit with your…colorful past.”

    Shadow’s blood surged to his hands. “If you’re insinuating I’d hurt that girl, then just say it.”

    The other agent scowled and closed the distance between he and Shadow. “I saw your record before you came here,” he growled. “It would’ve gone halfway around this building. And yet Commander Tower allows you, a criminal, to carry out assignments like this—”

    “I’m not a criminal anymore. And my record never showed I was a rapist or a child abuser, because I’m not,” Shadow said, moving the slightest bit closer. “If I’m wrong, correct me.”

    Kacey’s mouth tightened and he turned his back on Shadow, then marched away.

    “He’s jealous, all right,” Rouge said as the agent rounded a corner. She glanced at Shadow. “Not because the Commander gave you this assignment, but because you got the promotion this month. Hmph. What a jerk.”

    Shadow massaged the bridge of his nose. Thank goodness it was Friday.

    I’d love comments and/or critique on this. Thanks for the prompt!

    Reply
    • Avril

      Interesting. Lits of under urrents, hints that there’s some serious history here. Would like to read more. Love that name Rouge.

    • 709writer

      Thank you so much! Rouge and Shadow are actually characters from the Sonic Hedgehog series, and I write fanfiction about them. : )

  4. EndlessExposition

    My favorite euphemism is definitely “there are communists in the funhouse” – an expression used in Denmark to refer to a lady’s time of the month.

    Reply
    • 709writer

      Ha ha, there are a lot of good ones for that time. A friend of mine says “Aunt Flo is visiting.” : )

    • Avril

      Now that is funny:-)

  5. Avril

    Liz, my sister of the semi-colon! That is my favorite punctuation mark! It has become the Red-Headed Stepchild of English grammar; one just doesn’t see it in use anymore. My apologies to our red-headed group members; I was simply using a slang term popular in the vernacular. Now about those euphemisms: They come in handy for dancing around a subject no one wants to talk about, or in slightly misleading an audience. Here is my exercise: It is in the form of a business letter.

    Mr. Seymour Blood
    Consumer Credit Wellness Counselor
    FORD* Financial Opportunities, UNLTD.

    Dear Mr. Blood:

    Thank you for your recent correspondence and unexpected flurry of highly informative phone calls. I certainly appreciate your enthusiasm and personal attention to detail, as we work together to improve the potential of my outstanding Funds Imbalance.

    As I previously related to you, in several of our robust and uninhibited confabulations, I have recently been appropriately right-sized from my self-esteem moderating position at WorkHereDiePenniless, Inc.

    I project this update to my employment status will have a net effect on my monthly income. In addition, my Quickbooks Monthly Household Augmentation Schedule projects that I will soon be committed to enriching our community medical facility. You may recall that I did provide background information to you, in my direct and powerful speaking style, that I will be engaged in several therapies and procedures to remediate the sycophantic posture I acquired during my tenure at WHDP, Inc.

    Due to these current relevancies, I must regretfully decline your gracious offer of monetary arrangements regarding my Free!NoInterestEver!It’sLikeIt’sNotEvenThere! Credit Card Punctual Incentive Program.

    Mr. Seymour, please accept my best wishes to you and your firm, that you all enjoy the successes and outcomes you deserve. I’m sure your many astounded clients would join me in saying, “Go forth to stand behind yourself, and put that best little self ahead of yourself, so that you may access the behind of yourself with maximum impact!”

    Yours Truly,

    Ms. Gay A. Bandon

    * FORD (For Our Revenue Duh )

    Reply
    • EndlessExposition

      I love these satirical letters! I read another one you did on the prompt about the Californian beach town. It’s definitely a style you’re good at. Would love to see more 🙂

    • Avril

      That’s me, sarcasm served daily! Thanks!

    • Sidney G Fox

      Fantastic!

    • Avril

      Wow, thank you.

  6. Elizabeth Cooper

    Great post, I never really new the meaning of euphemism before.

    Reply

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