swore

(swôr)

Past tense of swear.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

swore

(swɔː)

the past tense of swear

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

swear

(swɛər)

v. swore, sworn, swear•ing. v.i.

1. to make a solemn declaration or affirmation by some sacred being or object, as a deity or the Bible.

2. to bind oneself by oath; vow.

3. to give evidence or make a statement on oath.

4. to use profane oaths or language.

v.t.

5. to declare, affirm, etc., by swearing by a deity or a sacred object.

6. to testify or state on oath.

7. to affirm, assert, or say with solemn earnestness.

8. to promise on oath; vow.

9. to take (an oath).

10. to bind by an oath: swore them to secrecy.

11. swear by,

a. to name (a sacred being or object) as one's witness or guarantee in swearing.

b. to have great confidence in.

12. swear in, to admit to office or service by administering an oath.

13. swear off, to promise to give up (something, esp. intoxicating beverages).

14. swear out, to secure (a warrant for arrest) by making an accusation under oath.

[before 900; Middle English sweren, Old English swerian, c. Old Frisian swaria, Old Saxon, Old High German swerian, Old Norse sverja; akin to Gothic swaran to swear; compare answer]

swear′er, n.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

We'd a swore it if he'd been a dog; and so we done it.

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I forgot her for the moment, and when I looked I found that she had squirmed out of my pocket on to the table and was trying to swallow the pen; then she put her leg into the ink-pot and upset it; then she licked her leg; then she swore again--at me this time.

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"Thus she spoke, and Jove suspected her not, but swore the great oath, to his much ruing thereafter.

"On this Jove was stung to the very quick, and in his rage he caught Folly by the hair, and swore a great oath that never should she again invade starry heaven and Olympus, for she was the bane of all.

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The two little old men, each with his own wig back on his own head, shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives.

Thus having settled their accounts, they shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives.

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja swore in Justice Muhammed Tanko as substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Buhari Swears In Substantive CJN, Tanko Muhammad

Gavin Williamson swore "on his children's lives" that he was not responsible for that leak.

Swear on your own life

Caretaker Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday called out former opposition leader Sam Rainsy and swore on his life that the latter's claims of inflated voter turnout figures or intimidation surrounding the July 29 national elections were unfounded.

Hun Sen tells Rainsy to stake life on poll figures

He swore in for his first presidential term in 2014 before the General Assembly of the Supreme Constitutional Court due to the absence of the parliament at that time.

LIVE UPDATE: Sisi takes oath at parliament for 2nd presidential term

His co-principal Raila Odinga swore himself in as the 'People's President'.

Kalonzo: I'm no coward, I'll take oath after consulting

So, rather than being bad they ought to be seen as the pinnacle of respect and if you 'swore upon your parents', you'd better be telling the truth.

There's more than four letters in swearing