66 Euphemism Examples to Read Before You ‘Meet Your Maker’

I distinctly remember the first time I heard a euphemism.

Only eight years old, I was standing in my grandmother’s kitchen. The adults in my extended family were sitting around the table, drinking wine. Suddenly someone exclaimed, “That’s BS!”

I popped around the corner, eyes wide, and asked, “What’s BS?”

I watched their eyebrows lift. Waited as they scrambled for an answer. And then my aunt quickly answered, “It means baby shoes.”

They all laughed.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’d just heard what the folks here at Smart Blogger call a “good way to talk about a bad thing.” More formally, a euphemism is a polite or softened expression used in place of something unpleasant, blunt, or uncomfortable.

But it’s more than just a workaround for awkward moments. Used well, euphemisms can shape tone, soften impact, and subtly influence how your writing lands with readers.

So in this guide, you’ll see real examples of euphemisms, how they show up in everyday language, and how to use them in your writing without losing clarity or punch.

Where euphemisms get confusing (and what they’re not)

Euphemisms don’t exist in a vacuum, of course.

They overlap with other types of figurative language that also bend, soften, or sidestep meaning, which is why people mix them up all the time.

Before we get into examples, let’s quickly separate a few of the usual suspects.

Innuendo

Innuendo hints at the truth without directly stating something unpleasant or inappropriate.

For example, someone might indicate they got “extra help” on a test rather than admitting they cheated.

Political correctness

Being “PC” often involves language filled with euphemistic-sounding language. But in reality, political correctness is intended to be respectfully and directly polite.

For example, it’s politically correct to speak of someone’s struggles with mental illness rather than call them “crazy.”

Idioms

No an idiom is not a dumb-dumb (you’re thinking of idoit!)

Idioms are often cultural words or phrases that imaginatively convey an idea. It’s a literary device that’s not meant to be taken literally.

For example, people often joke about brides and grooms getting “cold feet” right before the wedding.

Dysphemism

When the substituted word or phrase has a negative connotation rather than a positive one, you might be dealing with a dysphemism.

For example, someone might refer to a cemetery as a “boneyard.”

And of course, no polite conversation on euphemisms would be complete without sharing one of my favorite George Carlin bits.

(Warning: Georgie uses a curse word here and there, so cover your youngster’s ears)

Now that you’ve got a feel for what euphemisms are (and what they’re not), let’s see how they show up in real language.

Because once you start noticing them, you’ll start to hear them everywhere.

66 euphemism examples (and how they show up in real life)

Given our Puritanical roots here in the U.S., it’s no surprise euphemisms are baked into everyday conversation.

We use them to talk around all kinds of uncomfortable topics – bodily functions, money, religion, work, relationships, and everything in between.

Sometimes it’s about being polite. Sometimes it’s about avoiding a reaction. And sometimes it’s just habit.

Below, you’ll find nine common categories of euphemisms, along with examples of how each one tends to show up.

As you read, pay attention to the why behind each phrase, not just the wording. That’s where the real value is for your writing.

Euphemisms in everyday conversation

1. The car isn’t used; it’s “certified pre-owned.”
2. She’s not sick; she’s “under the weather.”
3. He’s not a liar; he’s “creative with the truth.”
4. They’re not in a sexual relationship; they’re “friends with benefits.”
5. People don’t go to prison; it’s a “correctional facility.”
6. He’s not poor; he’s “economically disadvantaged.”
7. She didn’t break up with him; she “needed some space.”

Famous examples of euphemism

8. It wasn’t a lie; it was a “terminological inexactitude.”

“Perhaps we have been guilty of some terminological inexactitudes.” – Winston Churchill, to the British House of Commons in 1906

9. He didn’t say the f-word; he said “oh, fudge.”

“Only I didn’t say ‘Fudge.’ I said THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the ‘F-dash-dash-dash’ word!” – Ralphie, from the 1983 movie A Christmas Story

10. She’s not talking about her buttocks; she’s referencing her “boom boom.”

“Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase; All the right junk in all the right places.” – Meghan Trainor, from her song All About That Bass

11. He didn’t engage in an extramarital affair; he “slipped his moorings.”

“I can, however, try to move forward in a manner that is consistent with the values to which I subscribed before slipping my moorings.” – Former CIA Director David Petraeus, in apologizing for his affair

12. He’s not trying to make direct physical contact; he wants to “get to second base.”

“Me, I’m trying just to get to second base, and I’d steal it if she only gave the sign.” – Billy Joel, comparing himself to Pete Rose in the song Zanzibar

13. It’s not sexual intercourse; it’s “making whoopee.”

“Another bride, another June; Another sunny honeymoon; Another season, another reason; For makin’ whoopee” – Ella Fitzgerald, in her classic 1958 song Makin’ Whoopie

14. Janet Jackson’s breast wasn’t exposed; it was a “wardrobe malfunction.”

“I am sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl. It was not intentional and is regrettable.” – Justin Timberlake, apologizing for his part in the accidental exposure during the 2004 Super Bowl

Work-related euphemisms

15. You’re not fired; you’re being “let go.”
16. He’s not unemployed; he’s “between jobs.”
17. She didn’t get fired; she “chose to resign.”
18. You’re not unable to find a job; you’re just “considering your options.”
19. She’s not in a job that’s below her career level; she’s just “under-employed.”
20. He wasn’t fired; his company is “downsizing.”
21. They didn’t decide to quit and find other work; they wanted to “pivot” their career.

Money euphemisms

22. He’s not cheap; he’s “economical.”
23. The bill isn’t past due; there’s an “outstanding payment.”
24. They aren’t chronic over-spenders; they’re just experiencing “lifestyle inflation.”
25. It’s not a purchase you’re trying to justify; it’s an “investment.”
26. She’s not on a budget; she’s “thrifty.”
27. Someone didn’t try to persuade them with a financial bribe; they were “paid off.”
28. The company didn’t illegally change the information in their accounting; they “cooked the books.”

Euphemisms for death and dying

29. He didn’t die; he “passed over to the other side.”
30. She’s not deceased; she’s the “dearly departed.”
31. They didn’t die; they “bought the farm.”
32. She’s not deceased; she “kicked the bucket.”
33. The family dog didn’t die; they went “over the rainbow bridge.”
34. He’s not deceased; he’s “sleeping with the fishes.”
35. They didn’t die; they “met an untimely demise.”

Examples of religious euphemisms

36. You don’t mean to take the Lord’s name in vain; you’re simply saying “Gosh, Golly, Ye Gads, or by Jove.”
37. It’s also potentially blasphemous to call on Jesus Christ; you might say “Gee Whiz, Cripes, Jeepers, Jiminy Cricket, or maybe even Jibbers Crabst).
38. It’s not speaking of damning someone or something; it’s “Durn, Darn, Dang, or Doggone.”
39. It’s possibly problematic to use the term Lord the same way; you might exclaim “Lordy, Lawd, or Lawdy.”
40. It’s also not talking about Christ’s wounds; it’s “Zounds.”
41. They’re not an Atheist; they have “theological ambivalence.”
42. You wouldn’t say hell; instead, you’d say “what the Sam Hill?”

Euphemism in literature

43. Holden Caulfield isn’t asking Stradlater if he had sex on a date; he’s asking if “he gave her the time.”

“What’d you do?” I said. “Give her the time in Ed Banky’s goddam car?” – Scene from J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye

44. She’s not talking about her sexual appetite; she’s referencing her “instrument.”

“In wifehood I will use my instrument, As freely as my Maker has it sent.” – The Wife of Bath’s Prologue from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

45. He’s not speaking about sexual intercourse; he’s telling her father that his daughter is “making the beast with two backs.”

“I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.” – Iago in William Shakespeare’s play Othello

46. He doesn’t want to be called insane; he’d rather you refer to him as “differently moraled.”

“Don’t ever call me mad, Mycroft. I’m not mad. I’m just… well, differently moraled, that’s all.” – Acheron Hades in Jasper Fforde’s novel The Eyre Affair

47. He’s not talking about his potential death; he wants to communicate what happens if he “passes during some nocturnal blackness.”

“If I pass during some nocturnal blackness, mothy and warm, When the hedgehog travels furtively over the lawn…” – Stanza from Thomas Hardy’s poem Afterwards

48. The animals aren’t getting less to eat; there simply needs to be a “readjustment of rations.”

“It had been found necessary to make a readjustment of rations.” – Squealer, to the other animals in George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm

49. They didn’t have sex that resulted in pregnancy; he “plowed her” and she “cropped.”

“She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed; He plowed her, and she cropped” – Agrippa, speaking of Cleopatra in Shakespeare’s play Antony and Cleopatra

Euphemisms for bodily functions

50. He didn’t pass gas; he “broke wind.”
51. They don’t have a cold; they have “the sniffles.”
52. She’s not menstruating; it’s her “time of the month.”
53. You don’t talk to your children about sexual intercourse and pregnancy; you tell them about “the birds and the bees.”
54. He doesn’t have to urinate; he’s going to “see a man about a horse.”
55. They didn’t vomit; they “tossed their cookies.”
56. She’s not crying; her “eyes are leaking.”

Other common euphemisms

57. You’re not old; you’re “over the hill.”
58. She’s not pregnant; she “has a bun in the oven.”
59. It’s not a strip club; it’s a “gentleman’s club.”
60. It’s not an annoying telemarketer calling; it’s a “courtesy call.”
61. The item isn’t stolen; it just “fell off the back of a truck.”
62. It’s not a tiny cramped apartment; it’s “cozy.”
63. It’s not pornography; it’s “adult entertainment.”
64. They didn’t get a divorce; they “consciously uncoupled.”
65. It’s not a lie; it’s an “alternate fact.”
66. It’s not torture; it’s “enhanced interrogation.”

This certainly isn’t a comprehensive list of all the numerous euphemisms out there, but it should give you an idea of the types of phrases you can work into your writing.

And speaking of which…

How to use euphemisms without weakening your writing

After a while, you start to notice something about euphemisms…

They’re more than colorful phrases. They’re doing specific work. Sometimes they soften a blow. Sometimes they protect the reader. And sometimes, they quietly hide what’s really being said.

That’s where things can go wrong as a writer, if you’re not careful.

Used well, euphemisms give your writing tact and control. Used poorly, they make your writing vague, indirect, or harder to trust.

Here’s how to strike the right balance.

Use euphemisms when the tone matters

There are moments when saying something directly feels too blunt.

Thankfully, that’s where euphemisms shine.

They let you approach sensitive topics with a little more care, whether you’re talking about loss, failure, money, or anything else that might put a reader on edge.

For example:

• “He passed away” feels different from “He died.”
• “She’s between jobs” lands softer than “She’s unemployed.”

Same idea, but different tone.

Don’t use them to dodge clarity

This is where a lot of writing mess up.

Euphemisms can make things sound nicer, but they can also make things less clear.

If a reader has to stop and translate what you mean, you’ve lost them. For example:

• “We’re exploring strategic alternatives”
• “There’s been a restructuring”

These phrases might sound polished, but they often leave readers wondering what actually happened.

In most cases, clarity beats comfort.

Don’t use them as filler

Some euphemisms do something far worse than make your writing too comfortable. They pad it with filler words.

You’ll see this a lot in corporate or overly polished writing, where sentences get longer but say less.

Match the euphemism to the audience

Not every reader needs the same level of softness. In some contexts, a euphemism shows empathy. In others, it feels unnecessary or even evasive.

A casual blog post might lean softer. A how-to guide or instructional piece usually benefits from being more direct.

The key is knowing who you’re writing for and how they’re likely to hear what you say.

Writing with tact without losing clarity

The next time you’re writing about a sensitive topic, you’ve got another tool to work with.

Euphemisms can soften the edges when they need softening. They can help you handle awkward, uncomfortable, or emotionally loaded moments with a little more control.

But they’re not there to hide what you mean.

Your readers don’t need everything dressed up as “baby shoes.” They just need you to say what you mean in a way they can actually hear.

So use euphemisms when they help, skip them when they don’t.

Good luck – you’ve got plenty of words ahead of you before you “meet your maker!”