euphemism
YOO-fuh-miz-umnounMeaning a gentle word used in place of a harsh or blunt one
Memory hook EU = GOOD: a nice word for a bad thing. Grandpa Gus calls his rusty, smoking old car “a classic.” That kind word for a wreck is a euphemism.
“Passed away” is a euphemism for “died.”
In context The company called the layoffs “rightsizing,” a euphemism meant to make the loss of two hundred jobs sound like a sensible adjustment.
Similar polite term, softer word, gentle term
Opposite bluntness, plain speech
From Greek euphemismos, from euphemos (speaking well): eu (well) + pheme (speech).