1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

cuss 1 of 2

noun

ˈkəs How to pronounce cuss (audio)
Definition of cussnext
as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression a man who has never uttered a single cuss

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

cuss

2 of 2

verb

as in to swear
to use offensive or indecent language the little girl clapped her hands over her ears when her brother started cussing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 cuss
Noun
My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit. — Jim Meddleton, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2024 This California school board president has 2 DUIs and cusses. — Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023
Verb
In the 2015 track, Sonya’s boyfriend finds them by the pool and starts cussing them out, pushing Coley to the ground, who, in turn, punches him. — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 June 2026 The man who blew the whistle didn’t shout, didn’t cuss and didn’t make a scene. — Jason Quick, New York Times, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for cuss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cuss
  1. curse
  2. swear
  3. language
  4. profanity
  5. expletive
Noun
  • The sequel takes place 25 years after the original 1998 cult classic movie, as the sisters try to break their family curse along with Sally’s daughters Kylie (Joey King) and Antonio (Maisie Williams).
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Sally and Gillian come from a long line of witches and have lived in a resplendent Massachusetts home with their aunts Frances (Stockard Channing) and Jet (Dianne Wiest) ever since a curse struck down their father and led to their mother’s suicide.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of curse
Verb
  • What was sworn to be the final chapter in a revolutionary trilogy, the shift in tone from the first two installments can be attributed to a change in writers.
    — Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Some fitness enthusiasts swear that working out on an empty stomach burns more fat, while others insist that eating beforehand is essential for maximizing energy and performance.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of swear
Noun
  • Specialty-specific patterns of language, documentation structure and billing nuance reduce the volume of the most consequential omissions.
    — Pat Williams, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The woman who had compiled the Handy Hints book helpfully explained these technical details to Flynn, whispering in his ear like someone translating a foreign language.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of language
Noun
  • Notes on the investigation obtained by the Courant show witnesses who were interviewed said Plessy Cloud spoke only in a respectful tone and that no voices were raised, nor were any profanities heard.
    — Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026
  • His tenure included a profanity-laden conversation with a journalist from The New Yorker, who later published his remarks.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of profanity
Noun
  • The video traded the genre’s typical easy-breezy style for a mashup of clips where flames rose, expletives flew, and Tiedemann flipped the bird toward the camera at every opportunity.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
  • As the mother resumed telling the officer what happened, Ruiz allegedly came back downstairs and used several expletives toward her, police wrote.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of expletive

Browse Nearby Words

cusps
cuss
cussed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cuss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cuss. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of facsimile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All