curse

curse (kûrs)

a. An appeal or prayer for evil or misfortune to befall someone or something.

b. The evil or misfortune that comes in or as if in response to such an appeal: bewailed the curse of ill health.

2. One that is accursed.

3. A source or cause of evil; a scourge: "Selfishness is the greatest curse of the human race" William Ewart Gladstone.

4. A profane word or phrase; a swearword.

5. Ecclesiastical A censure, ban, or anathema.

6. Slang Menstruation. Used with the.

v. cursed or curst (kûrst), curs·ing, curs·es

v.tr.

1. To invoke evil or misfortune upon; damn.

2. To swear at.

3. To bring evil upon; afflict: was cursed with crippling arthritis.

4. Ecclesiastical To put under a ban or an anathema; excommunicate.

v.intr.

To utter curses; swear.

[Middle English, from Old English curs.]

curser n.

curse

Verb

[cursing, cursed]

1. to swear or swear at (someone)

2. to call on supernatural powers to bring harm to (someone or something)

Noun

1. a profane or obscene expression, usually of anger

2. an appeal to a supernatural power for harm to come to a person

3. harm resulting from a curse

4. something that causes great trouble or harm

5. the curse Informal menstruation or a menstrual period [Old English cursian]

Curse of painters: painters collectively, 1486; a curse of creditors—Lipton, 1970.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	curse - profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger; "expletives were deleted" expletive, oath, swearing, swearword, curse word, cuss profanity - vulgar or irreverent speech or action
	2.	curse - an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group execration, condemnation denouncement, denunciation - a public act of denouncing anathema - a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication imprecation, malediction - the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); "he suffered the imprecations of the mob"
	3.	curse - an evil spell; "a witch put a curse on his whole family"; "he put the whammy on me" hex, jinx, whammy magic spell, magical spell, charm, spell - a verbal formula believed to have magical force; "he whispered a spell as he moved his hands"; "inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese"
	4.	curse - something causing misery or death; "the bane of my life" bane, nemesis, scourge affliction - a cause of great suffering and distress
	5.	curse - a severe affliction torment affliction - a cause of great suffering and distress
Verb	1.	curse - utter obscenities or profanities; "The drunken men were cursing loudly in the street" blaspheme, cuss, swear, imprecate blaspheme - speak of in an irreverent or impious manner; "blaspheme God" give tongue to, utter, express, verbalise, verbalize - articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise; "She expressed her anger"; "He uttered a curse"
	2.	curse - heap obscenities upon; "The taxi driver who felt he didn't get a high enough tip cursed the passenger" blackguard, clapperclaw, abuse, shout - use foul or abusive language towards; "The actress abused the policeman who gave her a parking ticket"; "The angry mother shouted at the teacher"
	3.	curse - wish harm upon; invoke evil upon; "The bad witch cursed the child" anathemise, anathemize, bedamn, beshrew, damn, imprecate, maledict bring up, call down, conjure, conjure up, invoke, call forth, put forward, arouse, evoke, stir, raise - summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic; "raise the specter of unemployment"; "he conjured wild birds in the air"; "call down the spirits from the mountain" bless - give a benediction to; "The dying man blessed his son"
	4.	curse - exclude from a church or a religious community; "The gay priest was excommunicated when he married his partner" excommunicate, unchurch excommunicate - oust or exclude from a group or membership by decree keep out, shut out, exclude, shut - prevent from entering; shut out; "The trees were shutting out all sunlight"; "This policy excludes people who have a criminal record from entering the country"