Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for F-word. Search instead for f-w-d-.
Jump To:
  • F-word
    F-word
    noun
    a euphemism for the word fuck .
  • f-word
    f-word
    noun
    (sometimes capital) a euphemistic way of referring to the word fuck

F-word

American  
[ef-wurd] / ˈɛfˌwɜrd /
Also f word or f-word

noun

  1. a euphemism for the word fuck .

    The f-word came into English in the 15th century.


f-word British  

noun

  1. taboo (sometimes capital) a euphemistic way of referring to the word fuck

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of F-word

First recorded in 1955–60

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.

See Examples For:

O’Rourke told a voter who asked about his language: “Great point, and I don’t intend to use the F-word going forward. Point taken, and very strongly made. ... We’re going to keep it clean.”

From Fox News Mar. 17, 2019

When asked if she was a feminist she did not use the F-word and stressed her love for men – as if pre-empting an attack.

From Salon Oct. 27, 2016

The F-word seldom appears in Shirley Jackson, although Franklin makes frequent reference to Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, a book that does capture some of the confusion and dissatisfaction of Jackson’s life and work.

From Slate Oct. 5, 2016

If it remains to be seen whether self-proclaimed feminists like Beyoncé and John Legend can resurrect the F-word, let alone make it safe for men, Kimmel’s not sure it matters.

From Washington Post Mar. 8, 2015

In 1934, in the journal “American Speech,” the scholar Allen Walker Read published “An Obscenity Symbol,” still the most important article written about the F-word.

From New York Times Mar. 30, 2014

Hole created something that’s more than a nostalgic gem of a self-aware album: it’s a manifesto for the gutsy, the screwed up and the savagely feminist, even if “feminist” isn’t her favorite f-word.

From Salon Apr. 11, 2024

At other times, “feminism” — considered an f-word by many for generations — was used proudly.

From Seattle Times Sep. 24, 2022

Jost added: "Insiders are also saying that, during meetings, President Biden repeatedly uses the f-word in conversation. More concerning, the f-word he keeps using is ‘forget.’"

From Fox News Oct. 24, 2021

Voters here tend to be relatively reserved in their political discourse by modern standards, with “flubbed” being a typical f-word.

From Washington Post Oct. 15, 2012

They may have used bad language, but not as casually as suggested, and the f-word was certainly not in common use among women of that generation at that time.

From The Guardian Oct. 13, 2010

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com