Link Centre Dictionary

dysphemism

dysp·he·mism

UK/ˈdɪs.fəˌmɪ.z(ə)m/ uncommon

noun

1.

an offensive or disparaging expression that is substituted for an inoffensive one

  • “his favorite dysphemism was to ask for axle grease when he wanted butter”
Antonyms

Origin

Borrowed from French dysphémisme, modelled after euphémisme, with the prefix dys-.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.