curse word

American  

noun

1. a profane or obscene word, especially as used in anger or for emphasis; curse.

   Synonyms:

   swear word, profanity, obscenity, oath, cussword, cuss

2. any term conceived of as offensive.

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Etymology

Origin of curse word

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

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

He is quick to laugh at his own jokes and appreciates the shock value of a well-placed curse word.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 8, 2023

I did not stop, once, to pencil a curse word of admiration in the margins, which sometimes means nothing but sometimes means a lot.

From New York Times • Jul. 4, 2022

Raphael Bostic, president of the Atlanta Federal Reserve, joked Tuesday in separate remarks that “transitory” is now seen as the equivalent of a curse word at the Atlanta Fed.

From Washington Times • Oct. 13, 2021

I wasn’t quite bold enough to use the forbidden curse word aloud, but I thought of it several times quite happily as I made my way up the path and to Auntie Braxton’s house.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson