CURSE (curst)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: curst   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does curse mean? 

• CURSE (noun)
  The noun CURSE has 5 senses:

1. profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger

2. an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group

3. an evil spell

4. something causing misery or death

5. a severe affliction

  Familiarity information: CURSE used as a noun is common.

• CURSE (verb)
  The verb CURSE has 4 senses:

1. utter obscenities or profanities

2. heap obscenities upon

3. wish harm upon; invoke evil upon

4. exclude from a church or a religious community

  Familiarity information: CURSE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CURSE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

curse; curse word; cuss; expletive; oath; swearing; swearword

Context example:

expletives were deleted

Hypernyms ("curse" is a kind of...):

profanity (vulgar or irreverent speech or action)

Derivation:

curse (utter obscenities or profanities)

curse (heap obscenities upon)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

condemnation; curse; execration

Hypernyms ("curse" is a kind of...):

denouncement; denunciation (a public act of denouncing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "curse"):

anathema (a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication)

imprecation; malediction (the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult))

Derivation:

curse (wish harm upon; invoke evil upon)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An evil spell

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

curse; hex; jinx; whammy

Context example:

he put the whammy on me

Hypernyms ("curse" is a kind of...):

charm; magic spell; magical spell; spell (a verbal formula believed to have magical force)

Derivation:

curse (wish harm upon; invoke evil upon)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Something causing misery or death

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

bane; curse; nemesis; scourge

Context example:

the bane of my life

Hypernyms ("curse" is a kind of...):

affliction (a cause of great suffering and distress)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A severe affliction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

curse; torment

Hypernyms ("curse" is a kind of...):

affliction (a cause of great suffering and distress)

• CURSE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they curse    ... he / she / it curses   
Past simple: cursed   
Past participle: cursed   
-ing form: cursing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Utter obscenities or profanities

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

blaspheme; curse; cuss; imprecate; swear

Context example:

The drunken men were cursing loudly in the street

Hypernyms (to "curse" is one way to...):

express; give tongue to; utter; verbalise; verbalize (articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise)

Verb group:

blaspheme (speak of in an irreverent or impious manner)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

curse (profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Heap obscenities upon

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

The taxi driver who felt he didn't get a high enough tip cursed the passenger

Hypernyms (to "curse" is one way to...):

abuse; blackguard; clapperclaw; shout (use foul or abusive language towards)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They want to curse the prisoners

Derivation:

curse (profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Wish harm upon; invoke evil upon

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

anathemise; anathemize; bedamn; beshrew; curse; damn; imprecate; maledict

Context example:

The bad witch cursed the child

Hypernyms (to "curse" is one way to...):

arouse; bring up; call down; call forth; conjure; conjure up; evoke; invoke; put forward; raise; stir (summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Antonym:

bless (give a benediction to)

Derivation:

curse (an evil spell)

curse (an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Exclude from a church or a religious community

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

curse; excommunicate; unchurch

Context example:

The gay priest was excommunicated when he married his partner

Hypernyms (to "curse" is one way to...):

exclude; keep out; shut; shut out (prevent from entering; shut out)

Verb group:

excommunicate (oust or exclude from a group or membership by decree)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

 Context examples 

“Those cursed hunters,” was his comment.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Have a care; I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your heart, so that you shall curse the hour of your birth.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

See! the snow is not more stainless than her forehead! The curse has passed away!

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Dazed by the rapid succession of blows, Martin warned them back with vile and earnest curses sobbed out and groaned in ultimate desolation and despair.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I say that these monstrous laws of yours will bring a curse upon the land—God will not let such wickedness endure.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I got down into the canoe, while the Dutchman, standing upon the deck, loaded me with all the curses and injurious terms his language could afford.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Holmes tore it open, and then with a bitter curse hurled it into the grate.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Letters are no matter of indifference; they are generally a very positive curse.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The man cursed and flung the empty gun from him.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does the patient shout or curse angrily?

(NPI - Shout or Curse Angrily, NCI Thesaurus)