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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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
Noun
Related Stories Taibah, who also wrote the screenplay, plays Hayat, a fiercely independent young woman convinced that a generational curse will kill her on her 30th birthday. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026 But maybe, Atlanta native and Midtown resident John Henry Hinkel suggested, Hollywood’s departure is more a blessing than a curse. — Felicia Feaster, AJC.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
Who could have guessed the industry that would spawn from this story of a boy who ends up playing with a doll that’s been cursed by the soul of a serial killer? — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026 Rice chooses us, just as Lestat chooses those who are privileged or cursed enough to become his companions instead of merely his victims. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 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
  • Trump’s move drew bipartisan condemnation from lawmakers who backed the measure overwhelmingly.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Netanyahu has criticized the violence but has taken few steps to crack down on incidents that have drawn international condemnation and sanction plans by longtime Israeli allies, including Britain.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 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
  • Hauling crap throughout Tamriel has been the bane of many a gamer’s existence.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In This Article Weeds are the bane of any gardener’s existence.
    — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of bane
Verb
  • The brazen, unmasked calls to erase Israel triggered fierce bipartisan backlash from lawmakers condemning the rising wave of open extremism.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • State election groups condemned the mailings, saying staff should not fear for their safety.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of condemn
Verb
  • Speculation and conspiracy theories have plagued Kirk’s death, fueled even by public figures such as Candace Owens, a longtime friend of Kirk, who has been outspoken about her belief that his death was orchestrated in an elaborate plot.
    — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Hoover’s replacement has thus far been a miss, and the problem that plagued this program in losses in each of the last two years has not changed.
    — Mac Engel October 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of plague
Verb
  • Analysts blame the brand’s reliance on Chuck Taylors and question whether Nike might sell it, though Nike says Converse remains an important part of its portfolio.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Macron acknowledged legitimate concerns of the protesters, while blaming the far left for the violence.
    — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of blame
Noun
  • Football—besides being one of our more ubiquitous and unrestrained national entertainments—has also become one of the rare arenas in American life where highly specialized language can flourish without censure.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The board is also expected to consider whether to launch an investigation into the allegations and consider a censure vote.
    — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of censure
Noun
  • But, unlike Felker and Bryan, the two don’t share a language or approach.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Brian Romick, the president of Democratic Majority for Israel, put out an issue framework last month in an attempt to move the conversation from the language to the actual policy.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of language

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Cite this Entry

“Curse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curse. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about curse

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