curse

noun

/kɜːs/

/kɜːrs/

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[countable] a rude or offensive word or phrase that some people use when they are very angry synonym oath, swear word
- He muttered a curse at the other driver.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- muffled
- loud
verb + curse
- mutter
- let out
- utter
- …
curse + noun
- word
See full entry
[countable] a word or phrase that has a magic power to make something bad happen
- The family thought that they were under a curse.
- The witch is supposed to have put a curse on the house.
compare hex
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- ancient
- evil
- terrible
- …
verb + curse
- utter
- place
- put
- …
preposition
- under a curse
- curse on
- curse upon
- …
See full entry
[countable] something that causes harm or evil
- the curse of drug addiction
- Noise is a curse of modern city life.
the curse
[singular] (old-fashioned, informal) menstruation (= the process or time of menstruating)

Word OriginOld English, of unknown origin.

verb

/kɜːs/

/kɜːrs/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they curse	/kɜːs/ /kɜːrs/
he / she / it curses	/ˈkɜːsɪz/ /ˈkɜːrsɪz/
past simple cursed	/kɜːst/ /kɜːrst/
past participle cursed	/kɜːst/ /kɜːrst/
-ing form cursing	/ˈkɜːsɪŋ/ /ˈkɜːrsɪŋ/

Phrasal Verbs

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[intransitive] to swear
- He hit his head as he stood up and cursed loudly.
Extra Examples
- He cursed under his breath as the hammer slipped.
- She was cursing and screaming at me just because I was late.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- roundly
- loudly
- aloud
- …
preposition
- for
phrases
- curse and swear
- curse and shout, yell, scream, etc.
- curse the day
- …
See full entry
[transitive] to say rude things to somebody or think rude things about somebody/something
- curse somebody/something/yourself (that) She cursed her bad luck.
- curse somebody/something/yourself for something He cursed himself for his stupidity.
Extra Examples
- He was now cursing the day he had ever got involved in the project.
- She cursed her luck that she had had to queue for so long.
- I cursed her roundly for being late.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- roundly
- loudly
- aloud
- …
preposition
- for
phrases
- curse and swear
- curse and shout, yell, scream, etc.
- curse the day
- …
See full entry
[transitive] curse somebody/something to use a magic word or phrase against somebody in order to harm them
- Legend has it that the whole village had been cursed by a witch.
compare hex

Word OriginOld English, of unknown origin.