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Webster 1913 Edition

Curse

Curse

(k?rs)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Cursed
(k?rst)
or
Curst
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Cursing
.]
[AS.
cursian
,
corsian
, perh. of Scand. origin; cf. Dan.
korse
to make the sign of the cross, Sw.
korsa
, fr. Dan. & Sw.
kors
cross, Icel
kross
, all these Scand. words coming fr. OF.
crois
,
croiz
, fr. L.
crux
cross. Cf.
Cross
.]
1.
To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
Thou shalt not . . .
curse
the ruler of thy people.
Ex. xxii. 28.
Ere sunset I’ll make thee
curse
the deed.
Shakespeare
2.
To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment.
On impious realms and barbarous kings impose
Thy plagues, and
curse
'em with such sons as those.
Pope.
To curse by bell, book, and candle
.
See under
Bell
.

Curse

,
Verb.
I.
To utter imprecations or curses; to affirm or deny with imprecations; to swear.
Then began he to
curse
and to swear.
Matt. xxi. 74.
His spirits hear me,
And yet I need must
curse
.
Shakespeare

Curse

,
Noun.
[AS.
curs
. See
Curse
,
Verb.
T.
]
1.
An invocation of, or prayer for, harm or injury; malediction.
Lady, you know no rules of charity,
Which renders good for bad, blessings for
curses
.
Shakespeare
2.
Evil pronounced or invoked upon another, solemnly, or in passion; subjection to, or sentence of, divine condemnation.
The priest shall write these
curses
in a book.
Num. v. 23.
Curses
, like chickens, come home to roost.
Old Proverb.
3.
The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment.
The common
curse
of mankind, folly and ignorance.
Shakespeare
All that I eat, or drink, or shall beget,
Is propagated
curse
.
Milton.
Syn. – Malediction; imprecation; execration. See
Malediction
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Curse

CURSE

,
Verb.
T.
pret. and pp. cursed or curst.
1.
To utter a wish of evil against one; to imprecate evil upon; to call for mischief or injury to fall upon; to execrate.
Thou shalt not curse the ruler of thy people. Exodus 22.
Bless and curse not. Romans 12.
Curse me this people, for they are too mighty for me. Numbers 22.
2.
To injure; to subject to evil; to vex, harass or torment with great calamities.
On impious realms and barbarous kings impose thy plagues, and curse em with such sons as those.
3.
To devote to evil.

CURSE

,
Verb.
I.
To utter imprecations; to affirm or deny with imprecations of divine vengeance.
Then began he to curse and to swear. Matthew 26.

CURSE

,
Noun.
1.
Malediction; the expression of a wish of evil to another.
Shimei--who cured me with a grievous curse. 1 Kings 2.
2.
Imprecation of evil.
They entered into a curse, and into an oath. Nehemiah 10.
3.
Affliction; torment; great vexation.
I will make this city a curse to all nations. Jeremiah 26.
4.
Condemnation; sentence of divine vengeance on sinners.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Galatians 3.
5.
Denunciation of evil.
The priest shall write all these curses in a book. Numbers 5.

Definition 2024

curse

curse

See also: cursé

English

Noun

curse ‎(plural curses)

  1. A supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane.
  2. A prayer or imprecation that harm may befall someone.
  3. The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment.
    • Shakespeare
      The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance.
  4. A vulgar epithet.
    • 2013 June 14, Sam Leith, “Where the profound meets the profane”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 1, page 37:
      Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths. Consider for a moment the origins of almost any word we have for bad language – "profanity", "curses", "oaths" and "swearing" itself.
  5. (slang) A woman's menses.

Translations

Derived terms

Verb

curse ‎(third-person singular simple present curses, present participle cursing, simple past and past participle cursed or (archaic) curst)

  1. (transitive) To place a curse upon (a person or object).
    • 1915, Emerson Hough, The Purchase Price, chapterI:
      Captain Edward Carlisle […] felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, […] ; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.
  2. To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
    • Bible, Exodus xxii. 28
      Thou shalt not […] curse the ruler of thy people.
  3. (transitive) To speak or shout a vulgar curse or epithet.
  4. (intransitive) To use offensive or morally inappropriate language.
    • Bible, Matthew xxi. 74
      Then began he to curse and to swear.
    • William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
      His spirits hear me, / And yet I need must curse.
  5. To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment.
    • Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
      On impious realms and barbarous kings impose / Thy plagues, and curse 'em with such sons as those.

Synonyms

  • (intransitive, use offensive language): swear

Translations

Antonyms

Anagrams

Latin

Participle

curse

  1. vocative masculine singular of cursus

Portuguese

Verb

curse

  1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of cursar
  2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of cursar
  3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of cursar
  4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of cursar

Romanian

Noun

curse f pl

  1. plural of cursă

Spanish

Verb

curse

  1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of cursar.
  2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of cursar.
  3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of cursar.
  4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of cursar.

Etymology

From Middle English curse, kors, cors, curs, from Late Old English curs ‎(“curse”), of unknown origin.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /kɜːs/
  • (US) IPA(key): /kɝːs/
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s

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