curse
Americannoun
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curses
plural
-
the expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, etc., befall a person, group, etc.
- Synonyms:
- malediction, fulmination, execration, imprecation
- Antonyms:
- benediction, blessing
-
a formula or charm intended to cause such misfortune to another.
-
the act of reciting such a formula.
-
a profane oath; curse word.
-
an evil that has been invoked upon one.
- Synonyms:
- torment, affliction, plague, scourge, bane, trouble, calamity, misfortune
-
the cause of evil, misfortune, or trouble.
- Synonyms:
- torment, affliction, plague, scourge, bane
-
something accursed.
-
Informal. Usually the curse the menstrual period; menstruation.
-
an ecclesiastical censure or anathema.
- Synonyms:
- imprecation, malediction, fulmination, execration
- Antonyms:
- benediction, blessing
verb (used with object)
-
curses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cursed,
past participle, past
-
curst,
past participle, past (Archaic)
-
cursing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
curses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cursed,
past participle, past
-
curst,
past participle, past (Archaic)
-
cursing
present participle
noun
-
a profane or obscene expression of anger, disgust, surprise, etc; oath
-
an appeal to a supernatural power for harm to come to a specific person, group, etc
-
harm resulting from an appeal to a supernatural power
to be under a curse
-
something that brings or causes great trouble or harm
-
a saying, charm, effigy, etc, used to invoke a curse
-
an ecclesiastical censure of excommunication
-
informal menstruation or a menstrual period
verb
-
(intr) to utter obscenities or oaths
-
(tr) to abuse (someone) with obscenities or oaths
-
(tr) to invoke supernatural powers to bring harm to (someone or something)
-
(tr) to bring harm upon
-
(tr) another word for excommunicate
Synonym Usage
Curse, blaspheme, swear are often interchangeable in the sense of using profane language. However, curse is the general word for the heartfelt invoking or angry calling down of evil on another: to curse an enemy. To blaspheme is to speak contemptuously or with abuse of God or of sacred things: to blaspheme openly. To swear is to use the name of God or of some holy person or thing as an exclamation to add force or show anger: to swear in every sentence.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
cursesimple
-
cursessimple
-
have cursedperfect
-
have curstperfect
-
has cursedperfect
-
has curstperfect
-
am cursingprogressive
-
are cursingprogressive
-
is cursingprogressive
-
have been cursingperfect progressive
-
has been cursingperfect progressive
Past
-
cursedsimple
-
curstsimple
-
had cursedperfect
-
had curstperfect
-
was cursingprogressive
-
were cursingprogressive
-
had been cursingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of curse
First recorded in before 1050; Middle English curs (noun), cursen (verb), Old English curs (noun), cursian (verb), of disputed origin
Explanation
When you curse, you say words you wouldn't want your mother or your priest to hear you saying. A curse can also be wishing something awful on someone, like the witch who puts a curse on Sleeping Beauty. When you hear "maledizione!" in an Italian opera, somebody's having a curse placed on them. The Italian word tells you just what a curse is — it's a "bad saying" — a really bad saying. Like "May you and all your family have nothing but Brussels sprouts to eat forever and ever!" That would be a curse. As a verb, the act of cursing will lead to getting your mouth washed out with soap.
Vocabulary lists containing curse
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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Holes
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When things go against you, leverage is a curse, not a blessing, as anyone who was on the wrong side of the housing crash nearly two decades ago knows.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
For now, though, EES, which stands for entry/exit system, has become the curse word of the summer for some Europe-bound U.S. travelers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The village elders send Ashitaka west to find out how this curse came to be.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
This year, qualifying for their first World Cup since 1998, Scotland's men's team were again unable to break that curse.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
My fellow Egyptians hiss, curse, and threaten them as they walk by, but it doesn’t seem to bother them.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
Research from the University of South Wales, Derby University and Manchester University showed modern brides are reluctant to buy pre-loved gowns because they're worried about stains, smells - and even "curses".
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026
Even rapper Cardi B joked about Reese’s picks becoming curses after the girl picked the New England Patriots to win over the Houston Texans this weekend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2026
Mr. James also has a challenging role as the crusty salt who curses “dat ole davil sea” almost as many times as Hickey drones on about “pipe dreams” in “The Iceman Cometh.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 14, 2025
As quickly as possible, the crew wrapped up their ill-gotten gains and made for the exit as the four guardians wailed pleas and threats and curses behind them.
From Slate ● Dec. 15, 2024
I snarled the names as though they were curses.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
He even suggested it might be cursed — “There is a hoodoo on it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Then we have Benny Safdie as Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, whom Odysseus follows to Troy and, ultimately, his cursed fate.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
SAN ANTONIO—In 2020, a sports agent named Leon Rose took on the most cursed job in sports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Vibes: cursed tea party, haunted cottage, abandoned in a mansion.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
But the village was small, and people talked, and anyone with eyes could see that from birth the boy had been cursed with a streak of terrible cruelty.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
O luxury! thou curst by Heaven's decree, How ill exchanged are things like these for thee!
From Salon ● Dec. 28, 2020
No, no, sir, a Gad's name don't call me so, 'tis a curst name, 'twas my father's name, beside 'tis a name to hang a dog.
From Our Admirable Betty A Romance by Jeffery Farnol
"Save us, Jack, but ya're curst gloomy, I think!"
From Our Admirable Betty A Romance by Jeffery Farnol
"I'll be curst if I know what, then!" he exclaimed, slapping down a card at random.
From Our Admirable Betty A Romance by Jeffery Farnol
I am only a cowed curst woman who walks with death; I will crouch here.
From King Lear's Wife; The Crier by Night; The Riding to Lithend; Midsummer-Eve; Laodice and Dana? by Gordon Bottomley
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra significantly declined as more Democrats entered the contest and Porter dealt with the fallout from videos of her cursing at an aide and scolding a reporter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
He was also dialing Gulf power brokers over Houthi attacks on ships bound for the Suez Canal and cursing at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
Slicker - Ipswich Town's back-up who has yet to play a league game - will be cursing his sloppy kick-out seconds after coming on that led to the opener.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2025
Rodrigo Duterte, who would assume the presidency the year after the papal visit, would make headlines after cursing the Pope for the traffic chaos he caused.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2025
“I’m warning you!”When still the tree didn’t move, Cole grabbed at the lower branches, all the while cursing and muttering angry threats.
From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
