English

Alternative forms

• euphemise

Verb

euphemize ‎(third-person singular simple present euphemizes, present participle euphemizing, simple past and past participle euphemized)

1. (intransitive) To utter one or more euphemisms; to speak euphemistically.
   • 1999, A. J. Meier, "When Is a Woman a Lady?" American Speech, vol. 74, no. 1, p. 63:

     There seems to be some support here for the claim that the older group felt a greater need to euphemize in the two contexts in question.

2. (transitive) To describe or refer to by using one or more euphemisms.
   • 1857, Charles Kingsley, Two Years Ago, ch. 2:

     The pools in general are bedded with black mud, and creamed over with oily flakes which may proceed from the tar on the vessels' sides, and may also from "decomposing animal matter," as we euphemise it now-a-days.

Derived terms

• euphemizer/euphemiser
• euphemization/euphemisation

References

• "euphemize" at OneLook® Dictionary Search.