1
as in condemnation
a prayer that harm will come to someone
uttered a curse upon his persecutor from the scaffold
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in swear
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
started muttering curses after hitting his thumb with the hammer
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in bane
a source of harm or misfortune
intolerance of personal differences is a curse of humanity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
misfortunes and problems seem to have cursed everyone ever associated with that house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
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 curse
Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
English considers that mindset both a blessing and a curse, maybe even something that occasionally holds Yuran back.
—Noah Poser, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
His symptoms include tics and uncontrollable outbursts, which often involve cursing and using expletive language.
—Pamela Avila, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curse
Noun
And Yokohama ably depicts a privileged young man who rightly views his good fortune as both blessing and curse.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
English considers that mindset both a blessing and a curse, maybe even something that occasionally holds Yuran back.
—Noah Poser, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
The criminal complaint alleges Ortiz was shouting and cursing during the game, leading to a verbal dispute with an assistant coach on the other team.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
His symptoms include tics and uncontrollable outbursts, which often involve cursing and using expletive language.
—Pamela Avila, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curse
Noun
-
International law experts say targeting civilians violates armed conflict regulations, drawing condemnation from the UN and human rights groups.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Sunni imams issued fatwas, legal condemnations by Islamic religious leaders, against us infidels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Kennedy could be heard hurling swears at the Swedish team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Feb. 2026
-
And Boring would be that much closer to its 90,000-rider pinkie-swear.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Perennials are just starting to send out new buds and shoots, lawns are starting to green, and the weeds—the bane of every gardener's existence—are really coming to life.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Time, skill and effort are the bane of the busy active person or family wanting healthier meal options beyond the TV dinner or meal delivery service.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Gonzalez revealed weeks ago that tests on his shoulder, which has plagued him since September, showed a small tear.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Perched between China and India, the country of 30 million people has been plagued for decades by political instability, crippling a largely agrarian economy and worsening unemployment – structural issues compounded by rampant corruption.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The assassination attempt was blamed on the Mujahideen-e Khalq, an Iranian militant group that killed President Mohammed Ali Rajai and four other top officials in another bombing two months later.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Human agency absorbs blame but rarely prevents the error.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Noem was the public face of that disapproval, strutting forward with arrogance in the face of public censure, a veritable clown show of ineptitude.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Days later, the House voted to reprimand Garcia after a fellow Democrat brought a censure resolution to the floor.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In another study published in October 2025, Kucker and her colleagues found the caregivers’ temperaments, and that of their child’s, influences digital media use and thereby language learning.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Compounding the problem is the language of this provision.—
Tim Regan-Porter,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All of the characters are entertaining, but the dynamic between Sherlock and Moriarty, his future nemesis, is the most engaging.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Caine issued a warning to any nemesis of the United States contemplating any actions to threaten American interests around the world.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curse. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
