accursed

A1C3C3U1R1S1E1D2
UK/əˈkɜː.sɪd/US/əˈkɝ.sɪd/

adjective

Hateful; detestable, loathsome.

UncommonScrabble 13

Meanings

adjectiveaccursed (comparative more accursed, superlative most accursed)

comparative more accursed · superlative most accursed · alternative obsolete accurst

  1. Hateful; detestable, loathsome.

    Accursed race of Tiriel. behold your father // Come forth & look on her that bore you. come you accursed sons.

    c. 1789, William Blake, Tiriel
    2 more examples

    Lo! they are charged with studying the accursed cabalistical secrets of the Jews, and the magic of the Paynim Saracens.

    1819, Ivanhoe, Walter Scott, Chapter 35

    […]Alaeddin ate and drank and was cheered and after he had rested and had recovered spirits he cried, "Ah, O my mother, I have a sore grievance against thee for leaving me to that accursed wight who strave to compass my destruction and designed to take my life. Know that I beheld Death with mine own eyes at the hand of this damned wretch, whom thou didst certify to be my uncle;[…]

    1885, Richard F. Burton, The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 532

    Synonyms: execrable, damnable

  2. lifestyleDoomed to destruction or misery; cursed; anathematized.

    Accurſt be he that firſt inuented war

    c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene iv
    3 more examples

    […]—if any one, be he who he may, attempt to alter the faith once for all delivered, let him be accursed.

    1885, Charles Abel Heurtley, transl., The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, Chapter 8

    For at the very moment I become accursed, at that same highest moment, I become exactly like a heathen […]

    1912, Fyodor Dostoevsky, chapter 7, in Constance Garnett, transl., The Brothers Karamazov, Book III, translation of original in Russian

    We did not come here to waste words in treating with Sauron, faithless and accursed; still less with one of his slaves. Begone!

    1955, J.R.R. Tolkien, chapter 10, in The Return of the King, Book V

    Synonyms: condemned, fey, ill-fated, condemned, cursed, star-crossed, sunk, cussed

verb

alternative obsolete accurst

  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of accurse

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveHateful; detestable, loathsome.

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveunder a curse

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Englishācursian
  2. Middle Englishacursed
  3. Englishaccursed

From Middle English acursed, from acursen (“to curse”), from Old English ācursian, from ā- + cursian, from curs (“curse”). First attested in the 13th century.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek κατηραμένος, κατάρατος
  • κατηραμένος (katēraménos)hateful
  • κατάρατος (katáratos)hateful
  • κατάρατος (katáratos)theology: cursed
Bengali অভিশপ্ত, শাপগ্রস্ত
  • অভিশপ্ত (obhiśopto)theology: cursed
  • শাপগ্রস্ত (śapogrosto)theology: cursed
Bulgarian проклет, прокълнат
  • проклет (proklet)hateful
  • прокълнат (prokălnat)theology: cursed
Danish fordømt
  • fordømttheology: cursed
Dutch hatelijk, verwerpelijk
  • hatelijkhateful
  • verwerpelijkhateful
  • vervloekttheology: cursed
Esperanto malbenita, sub malbeno
  • malbenitahateful
  • sub malbenohateful
Finnish kirottu, mokoma
  • kirottuhateful
  • mokomahateful
  • kirottutheology: cursed
French fichu, satanée
  • fichuhateful
  • satanéehateful
  • détestablehateful
  • maudittheology: cursed
Greek καταραμένος, επάρατος
  • καταραμένος (kataraménos)hateful
  • επάρατος (epáratos)hateful
  • επάρατος (epáratos)theology: cursed
  • καταραμένος (kataraménos)theology: cursed
  • επικατάρατος (epikatáratos)theology: cursed
Irish mallachtach
  • mallachtachhateful
Portuguese maldito
  • malditohateful
Romanian blestemat, afurisit
  • blestemathateful
  • afurisithateful
Cite this entry
APA

accursed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accursed

MLA

“accursed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accursed. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “accursed,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accursed.

Source: accursed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.