Understanding idioms vs euphemisms: What’s the difference and how should you use them?

Are you struggling to differentiate idioms from euphemisms?

In short, idioms are figurative phrases with non-literal meanings. A euphemism is a type of idiom that tactfully cloaks harsh, unpleasant, or offensive realities.

This article unpacks all there is to know about idioms vs euphemisms so you can be more confident recognizing and using them yourself.

What’s the difference between an idiom and a euphemism?

The main differences between idioms and euphemisms are summed up in the table below. Following this, you’ll find more information about each one and plenty of examples.

One thing that euphemisms and idioms have in common is that they are not meant literally. When you say someone has ‘kicked the bucket’, for example, it doesn’t have anything to do with kicking or buckets. It actually means they have died.

Are euphemisms a type of idiom?

Yes, euphemisms are a type of idiom used for a specific purpose – to soften the impact of an unpleasant or sensitive subject.

For instance, ‘pushing up daisies’ is an idiom that also acts as a euphemism; it’s a softer way of saying ‘dead’. On the other hand, ‘break a leg’ is an idiom used to wish someone good luck, but it’s not a euphemism as it doesn’t replace a harsh or sensitive term.

In this sense, we can say that all euphemisms are idiomatic, but not all idioms are euphemisms.

What are euphemisms?

A euphemism is a word or phrase that replaces a harsh or unpleasant term to make it more palatable.

These sayings help us navigate sensitive topics or unpleasant realities with grace and tact, and ease the emotional impact of difficult discussions.

Euphemisms are often used for topics that people feel uncomfortable talking about directly, such as:

• Death
• Sex and reproductive organs
• Bodily functions
• Toilet habits
• Pregnancy
• Old age
• Failure
• Redundancy/Unemployment
• Weight
• Finance

And anything else that might make people feel embarrassed or uncomfortable – either the speaker or the person they are addressing.

Note that some words and phrases can be used both literally and euphemistically. For example, you could describe a house as ‘cozy‘ to mean that it is snug and comfortable (literal meaning), or you could be saying that it is small and cramped (euphemistic meaning).

Similarly, the phrasal verb ‘let someone go‘ as a euphemism means to fire someone from their job. When not used euphemistically, it means to release your grasp on someone or allow them to move away from you physically or emotionally.

Why do we use euphemisms?

There are several reasons why you might choose to use a euphemism rather than plain, blunt language.

1. To show respect and avoid causing offense

Using euphemisms shows that you are sensitive to those around you and how they may perceive the language you use.

Different types of language are suitable for different audiences. For example, you probably use different language when speaking to your friends compared to when speaking to young children or your grandparents. You understand that certain obscene or unpleasant words are not appropriate for certain audiences, especially in relation to sex and bodily functions.

By replacing crude or offensive expressions with more socially acceptable language, euphemisms help us avoid causing offense.

2. To make a harsh reality sound less severe

Many English euphemisms relate to death and illness.

If someone is very ill and close to death, the doctor might say ‘He doesn’t have long left‘ rather than ‘He will die soon’. And instead of describing someone as ‘old’, you could say they are ‘getting on a bit‘.

We have a full list of death idioms and health idioms for you to explore; many of these use euphemism too.

Politicians and corporations often use euphemisms to make their policies seem more favorable. For example, they might introduce ‘budget savings‘ rather than ‘spending cuts’ or ‘staffing adjustments‘ rather than ‘redundancies’.

3. To avoid censorship and appeal to a broader audience

Publishers of any kind of written, audio, or video content need to be mindful of the language that is appropriate for their audience.

If you use strong language and talk about sensitive matters in a vulgar way, your content might be censored or marked as explicit, limiting the audience it can reach.

So, by using euphemisms, you can help more people enjoy your content.

What are idioms?

An idiom is a phrase with a non-literal meaning. You usually cannot deduce the definition of an idiom by considering the meaning of each word it contains; you must learn what each expression means individually.

For instance, ‘spill the beans’ doesn’t involve any physical beans; rather, it conveys the act of revealing a secret.

You can find a more detailed idiom definition and additional examples in our full article about idioms.

Why do we use idioms?

Idioms add flavor to our language and can help us communicate complex ideas more simply.

For instance, to ‘get wind of‘ something means to hear or learn about something, usually before it is officially announced. The idiom gives us a much neater way to express this.

Other times, idioms just add more expression and imagery to our language. One example is, ‘have butterflies in your stomach‘ – this means to feel nervous or anxious, but it beautifully captures the fluttering feeling that occurs in your gut when you feel this way.

But when you are a native speaker, idioms are a natural part of the language. We generally use them without too much thought, and trust that most people understand what we are referring to.

Examples of euphemisms with figurative meaning

Here are some more euphemism examples that you may hear in English:

Examples of idioms with a non-literal meaning

There are thousands of English idioms, but here are just a few to give you a better idea of the broad range of topics they cover:

Browse more articles about idioms to discover even more of these fun sayings:

How English learners navigate idioms and euphemisms

For English learners, idioms and euphemisms add an extra layer of complexity to the language. These sayings generally can’t be translated word-for-word from one language to another, even if there is a rough equivalent in the other language.

One example of this is the English expression ‘When pigs fly‘, which means ‘It’s impossible’ or ‘It will never happen’.

The equivalent expression in French is ‘Quand les poules auront des dents’, which translates as ‘When chickens have teeth’. In Spanish, it’s ‘Cuando las ranas críen pelo’, which means ‘When frogs grow hair’.

Although these all have the same meaning and all refer to animals, they wouldn’t have the intended meaning if translated literally.

It also takes time for non-native speakers to grasp cultural sensitivities when it comes to euphemisms. For instance, recognizing that ‘passed away’ is a less blunt term for ‘died’ requires an understanding of the cultural context and the sensitivity around discussing death.

There are many good uses of euphemism in literature and poetry to help students appreciate the concept.

And our articles about relationship idioms and finance idioms have some more good examples of euphemisms to help us speak with tact about these personal topics.

To conclude: Idioms vs euphemisms

We hope this article has helped answer any questions you had about euphemisms vs idioms, and you now understand the difference more clearly.

Remember, euphemisms help us communicate tactfully and respectfully about sensitive matters. They are a type of idiomatic language, but idioms more broadly are expressions with a non-literal meaning that are woven into our everyday language.

Next, why not read about idioms vs proverbs vs adages?

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