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curse - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Middle English curse, kors, cors, curs, from Old English cors, curs (“curse”), of unknown origin.

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.

    • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 2:

      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?

  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
  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

supernatural detriment

prayer that harm may befall someone

vulgar epithet

  • 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.

From Middle English cursen, corsen, coursen, from Old English corsian, cursian (“to curse”), from the noun (see above).

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
  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
  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

to place a curse upon

to call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon

to utter a vulgar curse

to use offensive language

curse

  1. vocative masculine singular of cursus

curse

  1. inflection of cursar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

curse f pl

  1. plural of cursă

curse

  1. inflection of cursar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative