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.
And I do lustily beshrew fate that these be but dreams.
From Eugene Field, a Study in Heredity and Contradictions — Volume 2 by Slason Thompson
"Had I been in your place, beshrew me but I should have seen her."
From Helmet of Navarre by Bertha Runkle
Claud.Marry, beshrew my hand, If it should give your age such cause of fear.
From The Principles of English Versification by Paull Franklin Baum
Were it not that I fear the Dane, beshrew me if I would ask aught better than to dwell therein.”
From A Maid at King Alfred?s Court by Lucy Foster Madison
"I have outwitted a whole household," he thought to himself; "beshrew me if I cannot tackle one man, even although it be Johnie Armstrong."
From Tales From Scottish Ballads by Allan Stewart
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
