na-adjective
euphemistic; indirect; roundabout
Describes speech or expression that avoids directness, often to soften a statement or be polite. Related to the noun 婉曲 (えんきょく).
See also: 婉曲 (えんきょく)
彼は婉曲的な言い方で断った。
He declined in a roundabout way.
婉曲的な表現を使うと、相手を傷つけずに済むことがある。
Using euphemistic expressions can sometimes avoid hurting the other person.
遠回し also means 'indirect' or 'roundabout', but is more colloquial and often used for speech that beats around the bush.
Formed from 婉曲 (えんきょく, 'euphemism, indirectness') + 的 (てき, '-like, -ish'), a common pattern for creating adjectival nouns.