as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
clapped her hands over the toddler's ears so he wouldn't hear the four-letter word
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 four-letter word
Never one to censor herself, Madonna's latest fashion statement can be summarized with a four-letter word.
—
Glenn Garner, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2023
What’s a four-letter word for funny, sweet, silly, huggable, wonderful, and mine?
—Angela Belt, House Beautiful, 2 Mar. 2023
In an audio excerpt, an air traffic controller can be heard uttering a four-letter word.
—Livia Albeck-Ripka, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2023
Mater Dei Catholic tennis coach Jose Oropeza says there is a four-letter word that is unacceptable on his team.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for four-letter word
Glenn Garner, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2023
What’s a four-letter word for funny, sweet, silly, huggable, wonderful, and mine?
—Angela Belt, House Beautiful, 2 Mar. 2023
In an audio excerpt, an air traffic controller can be heard uttering a four-letter word.
—Livia Albeck-Ripka, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2023
Mater Dei Catholic tennis coach Jose Oropeza says there is a four-letter word that is unacceptable on his team.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for four-letter word
Recent Examples of Synonyms for four-letter word
Noun
-
As the moon meets Pluto, ultimate creative freedom can be a curse.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Baseball has always been a sport that believes in the occult — in juju and curses and superstitions.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Sometimes nostalgia can be a dirty word, and Tiga avoids a wholesale rehash of his earlier work by recalibrating his sound to incorporate multiple other electronic genres.—
Cameron Cook,
Pitchfork,
20 Apr. 2026
-
And got to Oura and pivoted into software right before that became a little bit of a dirty word.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Akil had a stammer, and English was his third or fourth language.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
There are languages besides English and Spanish.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
The event finds more than 20,000 people participating in an annual bar crawl throughout the city while dressed in their best holiday attire, tackiest Santa Claus costumes, and ugliest Christmas swears.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Kennedy could be heard hurling swears at the Swedish team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Four-letter word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/four-letter%20word. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
