curse 1 of 2

noun

ˈkərs How to pronounce curse (audio)
Definition of cursenext
1
as in condemnation
a prayer that harm will come to someone uttered a curse upon his persecutor from the scaffold

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2
as in swear
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression started muttering curses after hitting his thumb with the hammer

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3
as in bane
a source of harm or misfortune intolerance of personal differences is a curse of humanity

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curse

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to imprecate
to ask a divine power to send harm or evil upon I curse the guy who had the idea of having annoying salespeople call up innocent people to sell them things they don't want

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2
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to misfortunes and problems seem to have cursed everyone ever associated with that house

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3
as in to swear
to use offensive or indecent language you'll have to put a quarter in the jar every time you curse

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4
as in to blame
to use profane or obscene language at or about cursed him for showing up late, when he knew how important it was to be on time

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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 curse
Noun
Blending horror with comedy, the Apple TV show takes place in a fictitious New England island town afflicted by a centuries-old curse that brings about supernatural evils. — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026 The woods could be hiding places of witches and sorcerers, disguised as the old and feeble, but capable of summoning wonder and terrors, charms as well as curses. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
Verb
Obumseli chronicled their arguments in a series of recordings, which caught Clenney angrily screaming, berating and cursing him out using racist slurs. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 Glee star Kevin McHale is sharing his thoughts on fan claims that the show is cursed following the deaths of several of his costars. — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for curse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curse
  1. condemnation
  2. swear
  3. bane
  4. condemn
  5. plague
  6. blame
  7. censure
  8. language
Noun
  • This provides the freedom for faculty and students to research, debate, teach and learn without fear of retribution or condemnation.
    — Daniel Diermeier, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The pressure is rising on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ditch a World Cup privatization plan that could draw investments up to $20 billion, but which has drawn widespread condemnation from most of soccer's worldwide governing bodies.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of condemnation
Noun
  • The pinky swear proved binding, as Nelson wrote the screenplay within six weeks.
    — William Earl, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • Why fill with swears a show that might otherwise have been appointment viewing for the whole family?
    — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Definition of swear
Noun
  • But what was designed as the solution has instead become the most contentious problem in tennis, a poster child for the law of unintended consequences and the bane of many players’ existence.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • United Airlines is getting rid of some of its middle seats, the bane of any airline passenger.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Definition of bane
Verb
  • Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks, according to Iranian state media.
    — Salma Arafa, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • One request from the tenants union was for the city to use the health department’s authority to make emergency repairs to the buildings and refrain from condemning the property.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Definition of condemn
Verb
  • The following season, Toney appeared in a career-high 13 games, but he was plagued by drops and a late-season injury.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The project to give the pool a facelift to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday began in April, but has been beset by difficulties after it became plagued by an algae bloom and the pool’s new blue lining began to peel.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of plague
Verb
  • Many blamed the incident on his government's progressive policies and publicly rallied for new border checks at sea, air and land ports of entry.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The site, known as Pecan Island, became available as part of a legal settlement that resolves dozens of lawsuits that blame ExxonMobil for pollution and coastal land loss, the newspaper reports.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of blame
Noun
  • The Ethics Committee investigated the claims before recommending on Monday that the full House censure Edwards.
    — Jeff Ballou, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The House is currently on recess, so the censure itself would not take place until at least September.
    — Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of censure
Noun
  • Speaking to Radio Jornalera NJ, an independent Spanish language media outlet, Lopez-Cornejo’s mother, María, said her son took medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, and seizures.
    — Alex Stambaugh, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • That language was taken from an earlier regulatory proposal that went before a Quorum Court committee, the Kutak Rock attorney noted.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of language

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curs
curse
cursed
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Cite this Entry

“Curse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curse. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on curse

Nglish: Translation of curse for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about curse

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