curse Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
    swearing; swearword; expletive; cuss; oath; curse word.
    • expletives were deleted
  2. noun an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group
    condemnation; execration.
  3. noun an evil spell
    hex; jinx; whammy.
    • a witch put a curse on his whole family
    • he put the whammy on me
  4. noun something causing misery or death
    bane; nemesis; scourge.
    • the bane of my life
  5. noun a severe affliction
    torment.
  6. verb utter obscenities or profanities
    imprecate; cuss; blaspheme; swear.
    • The drunken men were cursing loudly in the street
  7. verb heap obscenities upon
    • The taxi driver who felt he didn't get a high enough tip cursed the passenger
  8. verb wish harm upon; invoke evil upon
    imprecate; anathemise; damn; bedamn; anathemize; maledict; beshrew.
    • The bad witch cursed the child
  9. verb exclude from a church or a religious community
    unchurch; excommunicate.
    • The gay priest was excommunicated when he married his partner

WordNet

Curse transitive verb
Etymology
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.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Cursed or Curst; present participle & verbal noun Cursing
Definitions
  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. Shak.
  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.
Curse intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. 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. Shak.
Curse noun
Etymology
AS. curs. See Curse, v. t.
Definitions
  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. Shak.
  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. Shak.
    All that I eat, or drink, or shall beget, Is propagated curse. Milton.
    Syn. -- Malediction; imprecation; execration. See Malediction.

Webster 1913