beshrew
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Etymology
Origin of beshrew
First recorded in 1275–1325, beshrew is from the Middle English word beshrewen. See be-, shrew 1
Explanation
To beshrew is to invoke a curse on someone. Horrified at discovering an empty baking pan, you might yell, "Beshrew all of you who ate my brownies!" The verb beshrew is so old fashioned that you're most likely to discover it in a play or poem by Shakespeare, who used it frequently. When the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet says, "Beshrew your heart for sending me about, to catch my death with jaunting up and down!", what she means is "Curse you for making me run around so much!" Beshrew comes from shrew, an animal believed to have a poisonous bite.
Vocabulary lists containing beshrew
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
However, I have received fair treatment in this house, beshrew me but I have!
From Helmet of Navarre by Bertha Runkle
Quite sure," replied the crone; "but, beshrew me, if I don't think there is some hostile element at hand that counteracts the charm.
From Tales of the Wonder Club, Volume II by Alexander Huth
There's the wine, an it's not better than your temper, beshrew me for the enemy of true hospitality.
From Under the Rose by Frederic Stewart Isham
The cackling and talking has come to naught, as it mostly does," said he grunting to himself; "but beshrew me if I like a bootless errand.
From The Last of the Vikings by John Bowling
"Had I been in your place, beshrew me but I should have seen her."
From Helmet of Navarre by Bertha Runkle
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.
