CUR Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

cur

noun

ˈkər

Definition of cur

as in coward

a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger denounced as curs those police officers who deserted their posts during the hurricane and its aftermath

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bastard

a person whose behavior is offensive to others only a cur would abandon friends in their time of need

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cur Frank Senior was a barber who dreamed of being a singer, a nasty cur who beat his two sons and verbally whittled them down to a nub. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 That didn’t stop Annie, a mix of Staffordshire bull terrier, black mouth cur and Siberian husky, from sharing in the treats being handed out by Phoenix’s owner Maribel Gonzalez. — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026 Since switching to bears, Propst and Starks have accumulated a sound, reliable pack of bear dogs-redbones, Walkers, mountain curs and black-and-tans. — John McCoy, Outdoor Life, 12 Nov. 2025 His Orlok is more feral and red-blooded than previous iterations, appearing swathed in ursine furs and accompanied by mangy curs. — Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024 His arch nemesis, Richard Nixon, had fled the White House like a diseased cur after the Watergate scandal and in his disappearance from the political scene, Thompson lost perhaps his greatest muse. — Rory Feehan, SPIN, 9 Nov. 2023 On a blustery Saturday afternoon in April, 18 of 25 groups there had dogs off a leash, including this reporter with her black mouth cur mix, Archer. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2023 Behind the bar, the enormous portrait of the family’s late dog Rio — a black mouth cur for whom the restaurant is named — watches over the room. — Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 21 Dec. 2020 Pop it into first gear, low range, and this cur will claw halfway up the Washington Monument with no driver at the wheel. — John Phillips, Car and Driver, 24 Mar. 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cur

Noun

Some called them cowards; others opted for more colorful language.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2026
There are always vultures circling, and always cowards caving.

— Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of coward

Noun

After contracting the plague, he was banished to a cave, where a dog brought him bread and healed his wounds by licking them.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Anyone seeking to adopt a dog or cat can fill out the adoption form on their website.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of dog

Noun

That roller coaster of flavor and tenderness comes from dry-aging the steaks for 30 to 40 days in rum, and a marinade that involves both jerk spice and Onwuachi’s mother’s Creole green seasoning, a paste of herbs, aromatics and peppers.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
This book includes nothing from Elain’s perspective; hopefully, the next book will prioritize her and possibly offer some magical explanation for why the rest of the Night Court has been such jerks to one another in this novel.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of jerk

Noun

That’s not to jinx the master clown who’s currently doddering around in Argan’s shoes on Broadway.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
In several descriptions of these amateur events, including some of his own, Hemingway sounds less like a matador than a rodeo clown.

— Stephen Bates, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of clown

Noun

But there is also no mistaking the distinct black-and-white fur and bushy tails of skunks.

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 22 Oct. 2026
Officials say the last animal confirmed to have rabies that wasn’t a bat was a skunk infected with the bat strain of rabies in Long Beach in 2014.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026