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Synonyms

four-letter word

American  
[fawr-let-er, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌlɛt ər, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

  1. any of a number of short words, usually of four letters, considered offensive or vulgar because of their reference to excrement or sex.

  2. any word, typically of four letters, that represents something forbidden, disliked, or regarded with extreme distaste.

    In the dieter's vocabulary, “cake” is a four-letter word.
four-letter word British  

noun

  1. any of several short English words referring to sex or excrement: often used as swearwords and regarded generally as offensive or obscene

"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
four-letter word Idioms  

  1. Any of several short English words that are generally regarded as vulgar or obscene. For example, No four-letter words are permitted in this classroom. This expression is applied mostly to words describing excretory or sexual functions. [First half of 1900s]

Etymology

Origin of four-letter word

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

“Lull” is a four-letter word at most companies in 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

That four-letter word should put them on notice, if this is a scam.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 10, 2025

"That's why golf is the worst four-letter word in the world," he joked afterwards.

From BBC • May 17, 2025

"Vidler is a four-letter word here in Sandy Valley," Al Marquis told me when I visited the town in February.

From Salon • May 7, 2023

“Boy,” I say, “for somebody who thinks love is a four-letter word, you sure do have it oh the brain a lot.”

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

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.