curse

curse
curser, n.
/kerrs/, n., v., cursed or curst, cursing.
n.
1. the expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, etc., befall a person, group, etc.
2. a formula or charm intended to cause such misfortune to another.
3. the act of reciting such a formula.
4. a profane oath; curse word.
5. an evil that has been invoked upon one.
6. the cause of evil, misfortune, or trouble.
7. something accursed.
8. Slang. the menstrual period; menstruation (usually prec. by the).
9. an ecclesiastical censure or anathema.
v.t.
10. to wish or invoke evil, calamity, injury, or destruction upon.
11. to swear at.
12. to blaspheme.
13. to afflict with great evil.
14. to excommunicate.
v.i.
15. to utter curses; swear profanely.
[bef. 1050; ME curs (n.), cursen (v.), OE curs (n.), cursian (v.), of disputed orig.]
Syn. 1, 9. imprecation, execration, fulmination, malediction. 5. misfortune, calamity, trouble. 5, 6. bane, scourge, plague, affliction, torment. 10-12. CURSE, BLASPHEME, SWEAR are often interchangeable in the sense of using profane language. However, CURSE is the general word for the heartfelt invoking or angry calling down of evil on another: They called down curses on their enemies. To BLASPHEME is to speak contemptuously or with abuse of God or of sacred things: to blaspheme openly. To SWEAR is to use the name of God or of some holy person or thing as an exclamation to add force or show anger: to swear in every sentence. 13. plague, scourge, afflict, doom.
Ant. 1, 9. blessing, benediction. 10. bless.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • curse — n Curse, imprecation, malediction, anathema are comparable when they denote a denunciation that conveys a wish or threat of evil. Curse (opposed to blessing)usually implies a call upon God or a supernatural power to visit punishment or disaster… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Curse — Curse, n. [AS. curs. See {Curse}, v. t.] 1. An invocation of, or prayer for, harm or injury; malediction. [1913 Webster] Lady, you know no rules of charity, Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Evil pronounced …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Curse — (k?rs), v. 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.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • curse — [kʉrs] n. [ME & Late OE n. curs, v. cursian: prob. < L cursus (see COURSE), used of the course of daily liturgical prayers and of the set of imprecations in the formal recital of offenses entailing excommunication; hence, consignment to an… …   English World dictionary

  • Curse — Curse, v. i. To utter imprecations or curses; to affirm or deny with imprecations; to swear. [1913 Webster] Then began he to curse and to swear. Matt. xxi. 74. [1913 Webster] His spirits hear me, And yet I need must curse. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • curse — index expletive, imprecation, malediction, malign, proscribe (denounce) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • Curse — For other uses, see Curse (disambiguation). A woman makes a cursing ritual ceremony, by Hokusai A curse (also called execration) is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity one or… …   Wikipedia

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