curse

curse [kʉrs]

n.

[ME & Late OE n. curs, v. cursian: prob. < L cursus (see COURSE), used of the course of daily liturgical prayers and of the set of imprecations in the formal recital of offenses entailing excommunication; hence, consignment to an evil fate]

1. a calling on God or the gods to send evil or injury down on some person or thing

2. a profane, obscene, or blasphemous oath, imprecation, etc. expressing hatred, anger, vexation, etc.

3. evil or injury that seems to come in answer to a curse

4. any cause of evil or injury

vt.

CURSED or archaic curst, cursing, cursed

1. to call evil or injury down on; damn

2. to swear at; use profane, blasphemous, or obscene language against

3. to bring evil or injury on; afflict

vi.

to utter a curse or curses; swear; blaspheme

SYN.- BLASPHEMY

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be cursed with

to be afflicted with; suffer from

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the curse

Slang menstruation, or a menstrual period

SYN.- CURSE is the general word for calling down evil or injury on someone or something; DAMN carries the same general meaning but, in strict usage, implies the use of the word “damn” in the curse [he damned his enemies = he said, “ Damn my enemies!” ]; EXECRATE suggests cursing prompted by great anger or abhorrence; IMPRECATE suggests the calling down of calamity on someone, esp. from a desire for revenge; ANATHEMATIZE strictly refers to the formal utterance of solemn condemnation by ecclesiastical authority, but in general use it is equivalent to IMPRECATE -ANT. BLESS