Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of curse word
First recorded in 1870–75
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.
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
I’ve covered Nancy Pelosi for more than three decades and never once heard her utter a curse word, in public or private.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2025
Just one offensive or curse word can lead to a parental advisory label, so what’s defined as explicit can be subjective.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 3, 2023
Friends wonder whether they have ever heard Ryans use a curse word.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2023
It was much worse than any curse word, they told us.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
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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.