Choose the correct one-word substitute for: 'A mild expression used to replace a harsh or blunt one'.

Correct — D. The definition names a substitution: a mild expression put in place of a harsh or blunt one. That is a euphemism, as in 'passed away' for 'died' or 'let go' for 'dismissed'.

The Greek parts fit: eu-, 'well', + phēmē, 'speaking', so speaking of a thing in fair words → option (d).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Hyperbole — Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration, as in 'I have told you a thousand times'. It makes a statement stronger, where the definition asks for one made milder.
• (b)
  Eulogy — Eulogy is a speech or piece of writing praising someone, often someone who has just died. It shares the eu-, 'well', of euphemism but praises a person instead of softening a word.
• (c)
  Epithet — Epithet is a descriptive word or phrase attached to a name, as in Alexander the Great, and it can also mean an abusive term. Neither sense is a softened substitute.

One-word substitution asks for the word that matches the whole definition. This one has two parts: the expression is mild, and it replaces something harsher.

Euphemism carries both. Hyperbole, Eulogy and Epithet are also terms from speech and rhetoric, which makes them plausible, but none of them softens a word.

The reverse also has a name: a dysphemism is a harsh or offensive word used in place of a neutral one.

Key facts

• Euphemism: a mild or indirect expression used in place of one that is harsh, blunt or unpleasant.
• It comes from Greek eu-, 'well', + phēmē, 'speaking'.
• Dysphemism is the opposite: a harsh or offensive term in place of a neutral one.
• Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.

Common traps

• Choosing Eulogy because it shares the eu- prefix with euphemism
• Choosing Epithet because it can stand in place of a name, without checking the 'mild' half of the definition

No directly related past PYQ was found.