Euphemism Exercise

1. The company didn’t fire anyone. Instead, they decided to _______________ some employees. 

• terminate

• let go 

• sack

• dismiss

2. Rather than saying someone is old, we often say they are _______________. 

• elderly 

• ancient

• getting on in years 

• aged

3. Rather than telling the family that the patient was severely obese, the doctor said the patient was _____________. 

• overweight

• plus-sized 

• fat

• morbidly obese

4. Rather than saying someone is poor, they might be described as living in a _______________ area. 

• underprivileged

• low-income 

• impoverished

• destitute

5. The company isn’t failing; it’s simply going through a _______________ phase. 

• failing

• unsuccessful

• challenging

• declining

6. Instead of saying someone is in prison, people might say they are _____________. 

• incarcerated

• imprisoned

• doing time 

• jailed

7. Instead of saying that someone died in a war, it is often said that they _____________.

• passed away

• were killed

• made the ultimate sacrifice

• died in combat

8. The hospital didn’t want to say that the patient was dying, so they explained that the patient was _____________.

• in critical condition

• terminal

• approaching the end

• nearing death

9. Rather than calling someone dumb, you might say they are _____________.

• lacking in intelligence

• slow to understand

• idiotic

• dim-witted

10. The company had to lay off a large number of employees.

• fire

• downsize

• terminate

• sack