curse word

noun

: a profane or obscene oath or word : curse, swear word
Eisenhower could swear as eloquently as most sergeants, but he went easy on the curse words in mixed company.Stephen E. Ambrose

Examples of curse word in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Also: Which Swift song will Romo make reference to first, will Swift be seen mouthing a curse word and will Swift be shown live after the Chiefs’ first touchdown (duh)? Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Feb. 2024 Asked about his leadership approach and communications, Eisen said the board had previously asked him not to swear on social media after a joke about worms, which included a curse word, spiraled out of control. Evan Bush, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2023 Photo-Illustration: Cameron Getty; Getty Images Most of us who went to school in the United States have been threatened with detention for minor infractions like uttering a curse word or showing up to class five minutes late. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 24 Aug. 2023 And during a heated church meeting, Dr. Stanley was punched in the face by a member of the church board after cautioning him about using a curse word. Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2023 Instead, they were told that one was a curse word in an unnamed foreign language and one was not a curse word; they were then asked to guess which was which. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Dec. 2022 In the final instance, the frustration crescendoed with a scream — and four-letter curse word — that echoed around the intimate setting at Goodyear Ballpark, reverberating from the mound to the stands to the press box loud and clear. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2023 But what is Alabama’s favorite curse word? Tandra Smith | Tsmith@al.com, al, 5 Nov. 2022 The youngster famously said her first curse word the night Donald Trump won the 2016 U.S. presidential election — and the second occasion was just as memorable. Emma Kershaw, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curse word.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of curse word was in 1870

Dictionary Entries Near curse word

Cite this Entry

“Curse word.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curse%20word. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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