/kɜːs/, /kɝs/
OriginFrom Middle English curse, kors, cors, curs, from Old English cors, curs (“curse”), of unknown origin.
- A supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane.
“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 th”
“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?”
““The farm's had a lot of bad luck, you see. Dad thinks there is a curse on the place.” “Most like. Most like,” said Catweazle, gobbling the banana.”
- A prayer or imprecation that harm may befall someone.
- The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment.
“The common curſe of mankinde, Folly and Ignorance[…]”
- A vulgar epithet.
“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”
- transitiveTo place a curse upon (a person or object).
“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; ”
“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 su”
- To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
“Thou ſhalt not[…]curſe the ruler of thy people.”
- transitiveTo speak or shout a vulgar curse or epithet.
- intransitiveTo use offensive or morally inappropriate language.
“Then beganne hee to curſe and to ſweare[…]”
“[…]his Spirits heare me, / And yet I needes muſt curſe.”
- 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.
“On Impious Realms, and barb’rous Kings, impoſe / Thy Plagues, and curſe 'em with ſuch Sons as thoſe.”
Formscurses(plural) · curses(present, singular, third-person) · cursing(participle, present) · cursed(participle, past) · cursed(past) · curst(archaic, participle, past) · curst(archaic, past)