euphemism is a figure of speech in the Portuguese language, a mechanism that is intended to soften a word or expression that might be rude or obnoxious.
The euphemism consists in exchanging terms or expressions that might offend someone for milder ones, either because they are impolite or rude.
For example, the euphemism is often used in sentences referring to someone's death, with the intention of not making the speech about a naturally dramatic situation even more unpleasant.
"Go to the land of feet together", "eat grass from the roots", and "wear a wooden jacket" are some examples of euphemisms used to refer to someone's death. However, in these examples, the euphemism, even in an attempt to soften the message, can be crude in character.
The euphemism can also have a comic sense, usually present in popular expressions. However, as the definition itself says, it is not appropriate to use comic euphemisms in controversial situations or dramatic, as it can totally lose its original function: to soften the meaning of the message to be conveyed.
Examples of Understatement
"You are devoid of beauty." (When you want to say that a certain person is ugly)
"You missed the truth." (When it is intended to say that a certain person has lied)
"He turned into a little star." (When you want to say that someone has died)
"He took the old man's cell phone on the bus." (When you want to say that a certain person has stolen your cell phone)
"He lived on public charity." (When it is intended to say that a certain person lived on alms)
"He went to live with God." (When you want to say that someone has died).
See too 10 examples of euphemism and meet examples of other figures of speech.
To learn more about the meaning of Figures of Language, Click here.
see the meaning of definite and indefinite article.