curse (kɜːs
)
Definitions
noun
- a profane or obscene expression of anger, disgust, surprise, etc; oath
- an appeal to a supernatural power for harm to come to a specific person, group, etc
- harm resulting from an appeal to a supernatural power ⇒
to be under a curse
- something that brings or causes great trouble or harm
- a saying, charm, effigy, etc, used to invoke a curse
- an ecclesiastical censure of excommunication
- See the curse
verb
Word forms: curses, cursing, cursed, archaic, curst
- (intr) to utter obscenities or oaths
- (tr) to abuse (someone) with obscenities or oaths
- (tr) to invoke supernatural powers to bring harm to (someone or something)
- (tr) to bring harm upon
- (tr) another word for excommunicate
Alternative Forms
ˈcurser nounWord Origin
Old English cursian to curse, from curs a curseSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
swear,
cuss,
blaspheme,
use bad language turn the air blue be foul-mouthed take the Lord's name in vain
= put a curse on
damn,
doom,
jinx,
excommunicate,
execrate,
put a jinx on accurse
imprecate,
anathematize,
Quotations
"A plague o' both your houses"
"How comes it that you curse, Frère Jean? It's only, said the monk, in order to embellish my language"
"[Cursing] is an operation which in literature, particularly in the drama, is commonly fatal to the victim. Nevertheless, the liability to a cursing is a risk that cuts but a small figure in fixing the rates of life insurance"
"Curses, like chickens, come home to roost"
Translations
- British English:
curse
A curse is rude or offensive language which someone uses, usually because they are angry.He shot her an angry look and a curse.kɜːs NOUN He shot her an angry look and a curse.
- Spanish:
maldición
nf
- French:
malédiction
nf
- German:
Fluch
nm Flüche
- Chinese: 诅咒 n
- Arabic: لَعْنَة n
- Portuguese: maldição nf
- Russian: проклятие nnt
- Croatian: kletva nf
- Czech: kletba nf
- Danish: forbandelse nutr
- Dutch: vloek nm
- Finnish: kirous n
- Greek: κατάρα nf
- Italian: parolaccia nf
- Japanese: ののしり n
- Korean: 저주 n
- Norwegian: forbannelse nm
- Polish: przekleństwo nnt
- Brazilian Portuguese: palavrão nm
- European Spanish:
maldición
nf
- Swedish: förbannelse nutr
- Thai: คำสาปแช่ง n
- Turkish: küfür n
- Vietnamese: sự chửi rủa n
Usage examples
The curse was appended to the last page of this final document.
, High Stand (1985)Actually, the Beatles ' iconic status is a curse to the arts in Liverpool, which still languish under the band's memory.
Spiked (2003)Which, all things considered, is far more of a blessing than a curse.
Edmonton Sun (2003)For such folk, golf is not a game, it is a tyrant, a curse , a coronary attack.
Belfast Telegraph (2003)At the end of that distance, most victims dumped it down with a curse.
, 23 Steps to Successful Achievement (1972)