Euphemism is a substitution of mild, vague, roundabout and pleasant expressions for harsh, unpleasant or blunt expressions in writing or speech. It was produced in people's daily life and is widely used in the western world in the field of social life,politics, economy, military and education etc. Not only is it necessary in communication but it is also a very important means in maintaining people's social and interpersonal relationship.It can reflect the level of civilization in a society as well as people's values. This paper is intended to probe into the two most important characteristics and functions of euphemism: to avoid taboos and to make the speech more polite and elegant, thus helping us to have a better understanding of euphemism, facilitate our daily communication and promote intercultural communication.
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