curse

English

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curse

Wikipedia

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.

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

   • c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid.  (First Quarto), London: G Eld for R Bonian and H Walley, , published 1609, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:

     The common curſe of mankinde, Folly and Ignorance […]

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

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Exodus 22:28, column 1:

     Thou ſhalt not […] curſe the ruler of thy people.

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

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Matthew 26:74, column 2:

     Then beganne hee to curſe and to ſweare […]

   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 9, column 1:

     […] his Spirits heare me, / And yet I needes muſt curſe.

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

   • 1712 May, [Alexander] Pope, transl., “The First Book of Statius his Thebais”, in Miscellaneous Poems and Translations. , London: Bernard Lintott , →OCLC, page 29:

     On Impious Realms, and barb’rous Kings, impoſe / Thy Plagues, and curſe 'em with ſuch Sons as thoſe.

Derived terms

Descendants

• Sranan Tongo: kosi

Translations

Anagrams

• Cruse, Cures, Sucre, crues, cruse, cuers, cures, ecrus, sucre

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