curse
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /kɜːs/
ipa: /kɝs/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s
Forms: form: curses
form: cursing
form: cursed
form: cursed
form: curst
form: curst
Etymology: From Middle English cursen, corsen, coursen, from Old English corsian, cursian (“to curse”), from the noun (see above).
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 22:10–12:
text: 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.
ref: 1910, Emerson Hough, “A Lady in Company”, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
synonyms: bewitch
damn
ensorcell
maleficiate
antonyms: bless
glosses: To place a curse upon (a person or object).
examples: text: Thou ſhalt not[…]curſe the ruler of thy people.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 22:28, column 1:
synonyms: comminate
execrate
imprecate
antonyms: bless
glosses: To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
synonyms: word: swear
word: swear
word: blaspheme
word: curse
word: curse like a pagan
word: curse like a trooper
word: curse like a sailor
word: cuss
word: eff and blind
word: eff and jeff
word: execrate
word: imprecate
word: swear like a cutter
word: swear like a pagan
word: swear like a trooper
word: swear like a sailor
word: turn the air blue
word: vilify
glosses: To speak or shout a vulgar curse or epithet.
examples: text: Then beganne hee to curſe and to ſweare[…]
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 26:74, column 2:
text: […]his Spirits heare me, / And yet I needes muſt curſe.
ref: 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 9, column 1:
synonyms: swear
glosses: To use offensive or morally inappropriate language.
examples: text: On Impious Realms, and barb’rous Kings, impoſe / Thy Plagues, and curſe 'em with ſuch Sons as thoſe.
ref: 1712 May, [Alexander] Pope, transl., “The First Book of Statius his Thebais”, in Miscellaneous Poems and Translations. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 29:
synonyms: afflict
shaft
wreak
glosses: 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.
Derived terms: accurse
becurse
better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness
cursable
cursee
curse it
curse like a pagan
curse like a sailor
curse like a trooper
curse out
curser
forcurse
outcurse
uncurse