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A euphemism (/ ˈ juː f ə m ɪ z əm / YOO-fə-miz-əm) is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. [1] Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes to downplay.
Phonaesthetics (also spelled phonesthetics in North America) is the study of the beauty and pleasantness associated with the sounds of certain words or parts of words.The term was first used in this sense, perhaps by J. R. R. Tolkien, [1] during the mid-20th century and derives from Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ) 'voice, sound' and αἰσθητική (aisthētikḗ) 'aesthetics'.
Vedanā (Pāli and Sanskrit: वेदना) is an ancient term traditionally translated as either "feeling" [1] or "sensation." [2] In general, vedanā refers to the pleasant, unpleasant and neutral sensations that occur when our internal sense organs come into contact with external sense objects and the associated consciousness.
Culturally, consonant pitch relationships are often described as sounding more pleasant, euphonious, and beautiful than dissonant pitch relationships, which can be conversely characterized as unpleasant, discordant, or rough. [5] In popular and jazz harmony, chords are named by their root plus various terms and characters indicating their ...
Poets can call attention to certain words in a line of poetry by using alliteration. They can also use alliteration to create a pleasant, rhythmic effect. In the following poetic lines, notice how alliteration is used to emphasize words and to create rhythm: [29] "Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling!'
Dysphemism is sometimes motivated by feelings such as fear, distaste, hatred, and contempt. Worded simply, a dysphemism is a derogatory or unpleasant term used instead of a pleasant or neutral one, such as "loony bin" for "mental hospital".
Antiphrasis is the rhetorical device of saying the opposite of what is actually meant in such a way that it is obvious what the true intention is. [1] Some authors treat and use antiphrasis just as irony, euphemism or litotes. [2] When the antiphrasal use is very common, the word can become an auto-antonym, [3] having opposite meanings ...
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 13 January 2025. Aesthetically unfavorable characteristic The Ugly Duchess (painting by Quentin Matsys, c. 1513) Unattractiveness or ugliness is the degree to which a person's physical features are considered aesthetically unfavorable. Terminology Ugliness is a property of a person or thing that is ...