cussing
Americannoun
-
the act or practice of cursing or swearing.
Keep the cussing to a minimum, as there are kids around.
-
the act of criticizing or reprimanding someone in harsh language (usually followed byout ).
After three fouls, the player was pulled from the field and got a good cussing out from his coach.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of cussing
First recorded in 1830–40; cuss ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses; cuss ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective sense
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.
“But that’ll die out if there’s no emotional current underneath. The cussing has context. As long as there is an emotional story underneath the bells and whistles of cussing, then that works.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2024
Is cussing a part of communication for Scientology believers, one officially sanctioned or dictated?
From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2022
“They are under attack constantly,” he said, noting that police officers decades ago could “arrest someone for cussing them out,” until court rulings curtailed such police powers.
From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2021
“It’s a natural progression going from hockey to being a pastor because in hockey there’s a lot of cussing and fighting and it seems to be the same as a pastor,” he joked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2020
Uncle Phil’s voice roars to life in my head, spewing the words he uses to avoid cussing in front of me.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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.
