curse

1 of 2

noun

ˈkərs 

1

: a prayer or invocation for harm or injury to come upon one : imprecation

People believe that there is a curse on the house.

2

: a profane or obscene oath or word

In an antechamber, his lieutenants suddenly heard the shattering of glass and angry curses.

—Sam Moses

3

: something that is cursed or accursed

"I … will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth."

—Jeremiah 26:6 (King James Version)

4

: evil or misfortune that comes as if in response to imprecation or as retribution

… intolerance is the greatest curse of every land …

—Kenneth Roberts

5

: a cause of great harm or misfortune : torment

His fame turned out to be a curse, not a blessing.

6

: menstruation

—used with the

curse

2 of 2

verb

cursed; cursing

transitive verb

1

: to use profanely insolent language against : blaspheme

cursing his god

2

a

: to call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon

He was cursed and fears he will die.

b

: to execrate in fervent and often profane terms

cursed by future generations unless we act now

3

: to bring great evil upon : afflict

a land cursed with famine

intransitive verb

: to utter imprecations : swear

cursing loudly

Synonyms of curse

Noun

• condemnation
• censure
• malediction
• imprecation
• ban
• spell

Verb

• imprecate
• condemn
• denounce
• beshrew
• anathematize

Examples of curse in a Sentence

Noun

I heard him utter a curse before the microphone was shut off.

The witch pronounced a curse in some strange language.

People believe that someone put a curse on the house.

His fame turned out to be a curse, not a blessing.

Verb

He cursed himself for being so careless.

She cursed her bad luck.

In the book the evil witch curses the villagers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

While visiting India from America, her family tries to cure her inner turmoil – a thing thought of as an ancestral curse– through a combination of cultural restrictions and rituals. —Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 8 Dec. 2025

The breakup felt like a generational curse. —Jessika Hardy, Refinery29, 4 Dec. 2025

Verb

While some people yelled at the driver to stop, others on the taxiway cursed in shock as the car passed multiple planes. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025

Set in Lagos, this moody, engrossing novel braids together the stories of three women reared to believe that they are cursed because of a shared ancestor’s adultery. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English curs, going back to Old English, of uncertain origin

Verb

Middle English cursen, going back to Old English cursian, probably derivative of curs curse entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing curse

• curse out
• curse word
• the curse

Rhymes for curse

• hearse
• purse
• terse
• vers
• verse
• worse
• adverse
• averse
• coerce
• disburse
• disperse
• diverse

Kids Definition

curse

1 of 2 noun

ˈkərs 

1

: a calling for harm or injury to come to someone

2

: a word or an expression used in cursing or swearing

3

: evil or misfortune that comes as if in answer to a curse

4

: a cause of great harm or evil

curse

2 of 2 verb

cursed; cursing

1

: to call upon divine power to send harm or evil upon

2

: swear sense 5

3

: to bring unhappiness or evil upon : afflict