Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense curses, present participle cursing, past tense, past participle cursed
1. verb
If you curse, you use rude or offensive language, usually because you are angry about something.
[written]
I cursed and hobbled to my feet. [VERB]
Curse is also a noun.
He shot her an angry look and a curse.
2. verb
If you curse someone, you say insulting things to them because you are angry with them.
Grandma protested, but he cursed her and rudely pushed her aside. [VERB noun]
He cursed himself for having been so careless. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
Synonyms: abuse, damn, scold, swear at More Synonyms of curse
3. verb
If you curse something, you complain angrily about it, especially using rude language.
So we set off again, cursing the delay, towards the west. [VERB noun]
She silently cursed her own stupidity. [VERB noun]
4. countable noun
If you say that there is a curseon someone, you mean that there seems to be a supernatural power causing unpleasant things to happen to them.
Maybe there is a curse on my family. [+ on/upon]
He's been the object of a voodoo curse.
5. countable noun [usually singular]
You can refer to something that causes a great deal of trouble or harm as a curse.
Apathy is the long-standing curse of British local democracy. [+ of]
Summer colds are a terrible curse.
More Synonyms of curse
curse in British English
(kɜːs)
noun
1.
a profane or obscene expression of anger, disgust, surprise, etc; oath
2.
an appeal to a supernatural power for harm to come to a specific person, group, etc
3.
harm resulting from an appeal to a supernatural power
to be under a curse
4.
something that brings or causes great trouble or harm
5.
a saying, charm, effigy, etc, used to invoke a curse
6.
an ecclesiastical censure of excommunication
7. the curse
verbWord forms: curses, cursing, cursed or archaic curst
8. (intransitive)
to utter obscenities or oaths
9. (transitive)
to abuse (someone) with obscenities or oaths
10. (transitive)
to invoke supernatural powers to bring harm to (someone or something)
11. (transitive)
to bring harm upon
12. (transitive) another word for excommunicate
Derived forms
curser (ˈcurser)
noun
Word origin
Old English cursian to curse, from curs a curse
curse in American English
(kɜrs)
noun
1.
a calling on God or the gods to send evil or injury down on some person or thing
2.
a profane, obscene, or blasphemous oath, imprecation, etc. expressing hatred, anger, vexation, etc.
3.
evil or injury that seems to come in answer to a curse
4.
any cause of evil or injury
verb transitiveWord forms: cursed, curst,
5.
to call evil or injury down on; damn
6.
to swear at; use profane, blasphemous, or obscene language against
7.
to bring evil or injury on; afflict
verb intransitive
8.
to utter a curse or curses; swear; blaspheme
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈblasphemy
Idioms:
be cursed with
the curse
SYNONYMY NOTE: curse is the general word for calling down evil or injury on someone or something; , damn carries the same general meaning but, in strict usage, implies the use of the word“damn” in the curse [he damned his enemies = he said, “Damn my enemies!”]; execrate suggests cursing prompted by great anger or abhorrence; , imprecate suggests the calling down of calamity on someone, esp. from a desire for revenge;, anathematize strictly refers to the formal utterance of solemn condemnation by ecclesiasticalauthority, but in general use it is equivalent to , imprecate
OPPOSITE: bless
Word origin
ME & Late OE n. curs, v. cursian: prob. < L cursus (see course), used of the course of daily liturgical prayers and of the set of imprecations inthe formal recital of offenses entailing excommunication; hence, consignment to anevil fate
Examples of 'curse' in a sentence
curse
The curse of magazine deadlines strikes again.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Too often a story ends in the frustration of a great player cursed with an ageing body.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Maybe there is a curse on my family.
Siann, Gerda & Ugwuegbu, Denis C. E. Educational Psychology in a Changing World (1988)
New technology is a blessing and a curse of this age.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He knew that in this way she was trying to put a curse on the lot.
Clerk, Jayana & Siegel, Ruth Modern Literatures of the Non-Western World: Where the Waters Are Born (1995)
And which might actually put a curse on passengers?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He suddenly lifted his left hand as though pointing to something above and bringing down a curse on us all.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He looked back and cursed himself.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It is a terrible psychic curse.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He curses and says "no.
Christianity Today (2000)
The curse has come upon us.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The curse of the modern British holidaymaker is his endless quest for authenticity.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
What does the winner's curse mean to auction participants?
Miller, Roger LeRoy & Fishe, Raymond P. H. Microeconomics: Price Theory in Practice (1995)
Two weeks ago, he thought that the curse had struck again.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Over the generations, misbehaviour and misunderstanding have made the family seem cursed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Curse of the modern era, people trying to be ironic all the time.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They have lived many lives together, blighted by a terrible curse.
The Sun (2011)
I think the denial of death is a great curse.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The Edgbaston curse struck again yesterday.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
And the other great curse - at least for women - in the modern western world?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Those who did the killing challenged centuries of legend, which says that those who kill a sacred white stag bring down a curse upon their heads.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
LOW: Injury curse means he has missed the whole season.
The Sun (2016)
A GOLDEN view of the old days is one of the curses of ageing.
The Sun (2012)
Quotations
A plague o' both your housesWilliam ShakespeareRomeo and Juliet
How comes it that you curse, Frère Jean? It's only, said the monk, in order to embellish my languageFrançois RabelaisGargantua
[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 insuranceAmbrose BierceThe Devil's Dictionary
Curses, like chickens, come home to roost
In other languages
curse
British English: curse /kɜːs/ NOUN
A curse is rude or offensive language which someone uses, usually because they are angry.
He shot her an angry look and a curse.
American English: curse
Arabic: لَعْنَة
Brazilian Portuguese: palavrão
Chinese: 诅咒
Croatian: kletva
Czech: nadávka
Danish: forbandelse
Dutch: vloek
European Spanish: palabrota
Finnish: kirous
French: malédiction
German: Fluch
Greek: κατάρα
Italian: imprecazione
Japanese: ののしり
Korean: 저주
Norwegian: forbannelse
Polish: przekleństwo
European Portuguese: maldição
Romanian: înjurătură
Russian: проклятие
Latin American Spanish: maldición
Swedish: förbannelse
Thai: คำสาปแช่ง
Turkish: küfür
Ukrainian: лайка
Vietnamese: sự chửi rủa
British English: curse VERB
If you curse, you use rude or offensive language, usually because you are angry about something.
I cursed and hobbled to my feet.
American English: curse
Brazilian Portuguese: xingar
Chinese: 诅咒
European Spanish: maldecir
French: jurer
German: fluchen
Italian: imprecare
Japanese: ののしる
Korean: 욕을 하다
European Portuguese: xingar
Latin American Spanish: maldecir
Chinese translation of 'curse'
curse
(kəːs)
vi
(= swear) 诅(詛)咒 (zǔzhòu)
vt
(= swear at) 诅(詛)咒 (zǔzhòu)
(= complain about) 咒骂(罵) (zhòumà)
n(c)
(= spell) 诅(詛)咒 (zǔzhòu)
(= swearword) 咒骂(罵)的话(話) (zhòumà de huà)
(= scourge) 灾(災)祸(禍) (zāihuò)
to curse sb for sth/for doing sth因某事/做某事而咒骂(罵)某人 (yīn mǒushì/zuò mǒushì ér zhòumà mǒurén)
1 (verb)
Definition
to swear or swear at (someone)
He cursed continuously at passers-by.
Synonyms
swear
It is wrong to swear and shout.
cuss (informal)
blaspheme
He cursed and blasphemed to his last gasp.
use bad language
turn the air blue (informal)
be foul-mouthed
take the Lord's name in vain
2 (verb)
Definition
to swear or swear at (someone)
He cursed her for having been so careless.
Synonyms
abuse
He alleged that he was verbally abused by other soldiers.
damn
scold
swear at
revile
What right had the crowd to revile them?
vilify
He was vilified and forced into exile.
fulminate
They all fulminated against the new curriculum.
execrate
vituperate
imprecate
3 (verb)
Definition
to call on supernatural powers to bring harm to (someone or something)
I began to think that I was cursed.
Synonyms
put a curse on
damn
doom
jinx
He's trying to rattle me, he said to himself, trying to jinx me so I can't succeed.
excommunicate
execrate
put a jinx on
accurse
imprecate
anathematize
4 (verb)
I am cursed with a bad memory.
Synonyms
afflict
There are four main problems that afflict these people.
trouble
Is anything troubling you?
burden
plague
She was plagued by weakness, fatigue, and dizziness.
torment
My older brother used to torment me by singing it to me.
scourge
Economic anarchy scourged the post-war world.
vex
Everything about that man vexes me.
1 (noun)
Definition
a profane or obscene expression, usually of anger
She shot him an angry look and a curse.
Synonyms
oath
Weller let out a foul oath and hurled himself upon him.
obscenity
They shouted obscenities at us as we passed.
blasphemy
a petition campaign against blasphemy on television
expletive
He muttered an expletive under his breath.
profanity
Our ears were assailed by curses and profanities.
imprecation
swearword
I'd never heard a swear word in my life.
2 (noun)
Definition
an appeal to a supernatural power for harm to come to a person
He believes someone has put a curse on him.
Synonyms
malediction
jinx
Someone had put a jinx on him.
anathema
hoodoo (informal)
It'll take a football miracle if we are to break that hoodoo.
evil eye
excommunication
imprecation
execration
malison (archaic)
3 (noun)
Definition
something that causes great trouble or harm
She has worked hard to reverse the curse of racism.
Synonyms
affliction
Hay fever is an affliction that arrives at an early age.
evil
Racism is one of the greatest evils in the world.
plague (informal)
the cynicism which is the plague of our generation
scourge
Vandalism is a scourge that is ruining our beautiful town.
cross
Being labelled a cheat is a cross I have to bear.
trouble
She tells me her troubles. I tell her mine.
disaster
the second air disaster in less than two months
burden
Having more responsibility at work felt like a burden to him.
ordeal
the painful ordeal of identifying the body
torment
the torments of being a writer
hardship
Many people are suffering economic hardship.
misfortune
He had had his full share of misfortunes.
calamity
This course of action could only end in calamity.
tribulation
the trials and tribulations of everyday life
bane
Spots can be the bane of a teenager.
vexation
the tribulations and vexations we have to put up with
Quotations
A plague o' both your houses [William Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet]How comes it that you curse, Frère Jean? It's only, said the monk, in order to embellish my language [François Rabelais – Gargantua][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 [Ambrose Bierce – The Devil's Dictionary]
proverb
Curses, like chickens, come home to roost
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bane
Definition
a person or thing that causes misery or distress
Spots can be the bane of a teenager.
Synonyms
plague (informal),
bête noire,
trial,
disaster,
evil,
ruin,
burden,
destruction,
despair,
misery,
curse,
pest,
torment,
woe,
nuisance,
downfall,
calamity,
scourge,
affliction
in the sense of blaspheme
Definition
to utter curses
He cursed and blasphemed to his last gasp.
Synonyms
curse,
swear,
abuse,
revile,
profane,
damn,
desecrate,
cuss (informal),
use bad language,
be foul-mouthed,
take the Lord's name in vain,
execrate,
anathematize
in the sense of blasphemy
Definition
behaviour or language that shows disrespect for God or sacred things
a petition campaign against blasphemy on television