sweer

American  

[sweer] / swɪər /

adjective

Scot. and North England.

1. slothful; indolent.

2. unwilling; reluctant.

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sweer British  

/ swiːr /

verb

1. a variant spelling of sweir 1 sweir 2

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Etymology

Origin of sweer

before 900; Middle English swer ( e ), Old English swær ( e ) heavy, sluggish; cognate with German schwer

Example Sentences

I’ve been ready to gang these twa hours, but now that the machine is at the gate, I dinna ken how it is, but I’m terrible sweer to come awa’.

From The Little Minister by Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew)

And now we've come to the night I'm so sweer to speak about.

From Sentimental Tommy The Story of His Boyhood by Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew)

But ye know when I jined the church forty year ago, there was a kind o' takkit agreement atween Parson Roe 'n' me 't I could sweer when I wastellin' that pertick'lar story.

From Vesty of the Basins by Greene, Sarah P. McLean

I say wi' you; but Joe's juist been tellin' me that he met a leddy this mornin' on the public street that he could sweer died twenty-fower years bygane.

From Betty Grier by Waugh, Joseph Laing

"Let me up; I hae said a sweer!"

From The World's Greatest Books — Volume 01 — Fiction by Hammerton, John Alexander, Sir