curse

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kɜːs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɝs/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s

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.

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

   • c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid. […] (First Quarto), London: […] G[eorge] Eld for R[ichard] Bonian and H[enry] Walley, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:

     The common curſe of mankinde, Folly and Ignorance […]

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

• Sranan Tongo: kosi

• 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

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 22:28, column 1:

     Thou ſhalt not […] curſe the ruler of thy people.

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

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 26:74, column 2:

     Then beganne hee to curſe and to ſweare […]

   • 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:

     […] his Spirits heare me, / And yet I needes muſt curſe.

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

   • 1712 May, [Alexander] Pope, transl., “The First Book of Statius his Thebais”, in Miscellaneous Poems and Translations. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 29:

     On Impious Realms, and barb’rous Kings, impoſe / Thy Plagues, and curſe 'em with ſuch Sons as thoſe.

• Sranan Tongo: kosi

• Cruse, Cures, Sucre, crues, cruse, cuers, cures, ecrus, sucre

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