curse

See also: cursé

English

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /kɜːs/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /kɝs/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s

Etymology 1

From Middle English curse, kors, cors, curs, from Old English cors, curs (“curse”), of unknown origin.

Noun

curse (plural curses)

  1. A supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane.
    Synonyms: ban, hex, jinx, malediction
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Malachi 2:2:
      If ye will not heare, and if yee will not lay it to heart, to giue glory vnto my name, saith the Lord of hostes; I will euen send a curse vpon you, and will curse your blessings: yea, I haue cursed them already, because yee doe not lay it to heart.
    • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 2:
      Oh Portius, is there not some choſen Curſe,
      Some hidden Thunder in the Stores of Heav’n,
      Red with uncommon Wrath, to blaſt the Man
      Who owes his Greatneſs to his Country’s Ruin?
  2. A prayer or imprecation that harm may befall someone.
    Synonyms: anathema, malediction
  3. The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment.
    Synonyms: affliction, plague
  4. A vulgar epithet.
    Synonyms: cussword, expletive; see also Thesaurus:swear word
    • 2013 June 14, Sam Leith, “Where the profound meets the profane”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 1, page 37:
      Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths. Consider for a moment the origins of almost any word we have for bad language – "profanity", "curses", "oaths" and "swearing" itself.
  5. (slang, dated, derogatory, usually with "the") A woman's menses.
    Synonyms: courses, period; see also Thesaurus:menstruation
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Sranan Tongo: kosi
Translations
  • This translation table is meant for translations approximating the derogatory or strongly negative nature of this term in English. For standard translations, see the translation table at menstruation.

Etymology 2

From Middle English cursen, corsen, coursen, from Old English corsian, cursian (“to curse”), from the noun (see above).

Verb

curse (third-person singular simple present curses, present participle cursing, simple past and past participle cursed or (archaic) curst)

  1. (transitive) To place a curse upon (a person or object).
    Synonyms: bewitch, damn, ensorcell, maleficiate
    Antonym: bless
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 22:10–12:
      And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
      Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
      And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
    • 1910, Emerson Hough, “A Lady in Company”, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      Captain Edward Carlisle […] felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, […] ; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.
  2. To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
    Synonyms: comminate, execrate, imprecate
    Antonym: bless
  3. (transitive) To speak or shout a vulgar curse or epithet.
    Synonyms: swear; see also Thesaurus:swear
  4. (intransitive) To use offensive or morally inappropriate language.
    Synonym: swear
  5. To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment.
    Synonyms: afflict, shaft, wreak
Derived terms
Descendants
Translations

Anagrams

Latin

Participle

curse

  1. vocative masculine singular of cursus

Portuguese

Verb

curse

  1. inflection of cursar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

Romanian

Noun

curse f pl

  1. plural of cursă

Spanish

Verb

curse

  1. inflection of cursar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative
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