Britannica
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Why might someone say âpassed awayâ instead of âdiedâ?
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figure of speech
Front cover of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel Little Women.
Someone might say "passed away" instead of "died" because it is a euphemism. In rhetoric, a euphemism is a mild, indirect, or softened word or phrase used to replace a term that is considered disagreeable, offensive, or too blunt.12
Because death is a sensitive and often painful topic, speakers use such phrases to mitigate the severity of the subject and avoid the harshness associated with the direct naming of the event. By substituting a straightforward term with an indirect expression like "passed away," the speaker aims to make the conversation more palatable and less distressing for the listener.21