swear word
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of swear word
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
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.
"It could be anything from a swear word to telling somebody they're beautiful. I don't know what it's going to be."
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
“I can’t really say it because there’s a swear word in it,” Quinton Byfield said.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2024
After this conflict, Musgrave predicts Ukrainians will add a new swear word to their vocabulary: “Putin.”
From Washington Post • Mar. 4, 2022
JANESVILLE, Wis. — Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is known for his folksy demeanor, sprinkling his speeches with “by gollys” and the occasional PG-rated swear word.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 13, 2022
I sit. putting down my basket, strawberries again, chicken again, and I note the swear word: something new.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
