Meanings
present singular third person euphemizes · participle present euphemizing · participle past euphemized · past euphemized · alternative euphemise
- intransitiveTo utter one or more euphemisms; to speak euphemistically.
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.
1999, A. J. Meier, “When Is a Woman a Lady?”, in American Speech, volume 74, number 1, page 63 - transitiveTo describe in euphemistic terms.
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.
1857, Charles Kingsley, chapter 2, in Two Years Ago
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekεὐφημίζω
- Englisheuphemize
Back-formation from euphemism with the suffix -ize. Compare Ancient Greek εὐφημίζω (euphēmízō).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
German euphemisieren, schönreden
- euphemisierento utter one or more euphemisms; to speak euphemistically
- schönredento describe in euphemistic terms
Hungarian eufemizál, eufemizál
- eufemizálto utter one or more euphemisms; to speak euphemistically
- eufemizálto describe in euphemistic terms
Cite this entry
euphemize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/euphemize
“euphemize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/euphemize. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “euphemize,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/euphemize.
Source: euphemize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.