curse

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kɜːs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /kɝːs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s

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

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.
   • 1602, William Shakespeare, Toilus and Cressida, Act II, sc. 3:

     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, dated, derogatory, usually with "the") A woman's menses.

• curse of Scotland

• Sranan Tongo: kosi

• This translation table is meant for translations approximating the derogatory or strongly negative nature of this term in English. For standard translations, see the translation table at menstruation.

From Middle English cursen, corsen, coursen, from Old English corsian, cursian (“to curse”), from the noun (see above).

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).
   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314, page 0105:

     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.

   • (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare

     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.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Alexander Pope

     On impious realms and barbarous kings impose / Thy plagues, and curse 'em with such sons as those.

• (intransitive, use offensive language): swear

• bless

• accurse
• becurse
• forcurse
• uncurse

• Sranan Tongo: kosi

• Cruse, Cures, Sucre, crues, cruse, cuers, cures, ecrus, sucre

curse

1. vocative masculine singular of cursus

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

curse f pl

1. plural of cursă

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.