A dysphemism is a more negative-sounding term that is substituted in place of a less negative-sounding term. Though subtle, the use of dysphemisms can slant our attitudes more negatively towards a subject simply by word-choice.
Example #1:
In the following clip from the presidential debate on Oct. 3, Mitt Romney uses two dysphemisms when he says that Obama's economic policies have "buried" and "crushed" middle-income families. He could have made the same claim by saying that Obama's policies have resulted in significant financial hardships, and the more negative language of "burying" and "crushing" might cause some folks to have an even more negative attitude towards Obama's economic policies even without having been given reasons to disagree with them.
In the following clip from the presidential debate on Oct. 3, Mitt Romney uses two dysphemisms when he says that Obama's economic policies have "buried" and "crushed" middle-income families. He could have made the same claim by saying that Obama's policies have resulted in significant financial hardships, and the more negative language of "burying" and "crushing" might cause some folks to have an even more negative attitude towards Obama's economic policies even without having been given reasons to disagree with them.
Example #2:
Later in the debate, Romney uses another dysphemism when he accuses Obama of "killing jobs." Romney could have made the same claim by asserting more matter-of-factly that Obama's policies "eliminate jobs," or, "increase unemployment." The language of "killing" is much more strongly negative.