Meanings
swear1
present singular third person swears · participle present swearing · past swore · archaic past sware · participle past sworn · nonstandard participle past swore
- transitiveTo promise intensely that something is true; to strongly assert.
My little brother is such a pest, I swear.
2 more examples
I swear I don't know what you're talking about.
The Bat—they called him the Bat.[…]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, chapter I, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 01 - transitiveTo administer an oath to (a person).
Let the witness be sworn.
swear2
plural swears
- A swear word.
[A]ccording to his kind the man would smile cynically, or look sad, or let out a swear or two.
1900, Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, page v. 271 more example
You might think it funny to hear this Kanaka girl come out with a big swear. No such thing. There was no swearing in her — no, nor anger; she was beyond anger, and meant the word simple and serious.
1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Beach of FalesáSynonyms: curse, expletive, four-letter word, bad word, curse, curse word, cuss, cussword
swear3
comparative swearer · comparative more swear · superlative swearest · superlative most swear · alternative sweer · alternative sweir · alternative swere
- Northern EnglandScotlandDull; lazy; slow.
Rise up gueedewife, an dinna be sweer, / B'soothan, b'soothan, / An deal yir chirity t' the peer, / An awa b'mony a toon.
1881, Walter Gregor, chapter XXII, in Notes on the Folk-lore of the North-east of Scotland, London: Folk-Lore Society, page 161Synonyms: idle, work-shy, bone-idle, fainéant, idle, indolent, inert, lackadaisical
- Northern EnglandScotlandReluctant; unwilling.
But faith, to glump ye I'd be sweer / I wish ye luck o' this new year
1805, John Stagg, “A New Year's Epistle”, in Miscellaneous Poems, Workington: W. Borrowdale, page 1391 more example
My father will maybe be a wee sweer to take ye in, but ye maun make your way on him the best gate ye can; he has the best stockit pantry on Teviot head, but a bit of a Laidlaw's fault, complaining aye maist when he has least reason.
1822, James Hogg, The Three Perils of ManSynonyms: disinclined, loath
- Northern EnglandScotlandNiggardly.
For if my Pen shall turn as Sweir's their Purse / I fear this is the last I'll write in Verse
1714, Robert Smith, Poems of Controversy Betwixt Episcopacy and Presbytery, 2nd edition, Edinburgh: R. Syme & Son, published 1853, page 61Synonyms: miserly, penurious, as tight as Dick's hatband, cheap, cheeseparing, chintzy, close, close as wax
present singular third person swears · participle present swearing · participle past sweared · past sweared · alternative sweer · alternative sweir · alternative swere
- Northern EnglandScotlandTo be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours.
Synonyms: laze about, loaf, take it easy
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect.
verbTo use offensive, profane, or obscene language.
nounA swear word.
adjectiveTop-heavy; too high.
adjectiveDull; lazy; slow.
adjectiveReluctant; unwilling.
adjectiveNiggardly.
nounA lazy time; a short rest during working hours (especially field labour); a siesta.
verbTo be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours.
More synonyms by meaning
verbutter obscenities or profanities
verbto declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
swear · verb
- Proto-Indo-European*swer-“to swear”
- Proto-Germanic*swarjaną“to speak, swear”
- Proto-West Germanic*swarjan
- Old Englishswerian“to swear, take an oath of office”
- Middle Englishsweren
- Englishswear
From Middle English sweren, swerien, from Old English swerian (“to swear, take an oath of office”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarjan, from Proto-Germanic *swarjaną (“to speak, swear”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to swear”). Cognate with West Frisian swarre (“to swear”), Saterland Frisian swera (“to swear”), Dutch zweren (“to swear, vow”), Low German swören (“to swear”), sweren, German schwören (“to swear”), Danish sværge, Swedish svära (“to swear”), Icelandic sverja (“to swear”), Russian свара (svara, “quarrel”). Also cognate to Albanian var (“to hang, consider, to depend from”) through Proto-Indo-European. The original sense in all Germanic languages is “to take an oath”. The sense “to use bad language” developed in Middle English and is based on the Christian prohibition against swearing in general (cf. Matthew 5:33-37) and invoking God’s name in particular (i.e. frequent swearing was considered similar to the use of obscene words).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →swear · noun
- Proto-Germanic*swarō
- Old Englishswaru
- Middle Englishsware
- Englishswear
From the above verb, or from Middle English sware, from Old English swaru, from Proto-Germanic *swarō.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →swear · adjective, noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*swer-“heavy”
- Proto-Germanic*swēraz“heavy”
- Proto-West Germanic*swār
- Old Englishswǣr
- Middle Englishswere
- Englishswear
From Middle English swere, swer, swar, from Old English swǣr, swār (“heavy, heavy as a burden, of great weight, oppressive, grievous, painful, unpleasant, sad, feeling or expressing grief, grave, slow, dull, sluggish, slothful, indolent, inactive from weakness, enfeebled, weak”), from Proto-West Germanic *swār, from Proto-Germanic *swēraz (“heavy”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“heavy”). Cognate with West Frisian swier (“heavy”), Dutch zwaar (“heavy, hard, difficult”), German schwer (“heavy, hard, difficult”), Danish svær (“heavy, hard, severe”), Swedish svår (“heavy, hard, severe”), Latin sērius (“earnest, grave, solemn, serious”) and Albanian varrë (“wound, plague”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὄμνυμι
- ὄμνυμι (ómnumi)to take an oath
Arabic شَتَمَ, سَبَّ
- شَتَمَ (šatama)to curse, to use offensive language
- سَبَّ (sabba)to curse, to use offensive language
- حَلَفَ (ḥalafa)to take an oath
- أَقْسَمَ (ʔaqsama)to take an oath
Bengali কসম করা
- কসম করা (kôsôm kôra)to take an oath
Bulgarian псу́вам, руга́я
- псу́вам (psúvam)to curse, to use offensive language
- руга́я (rugája)to curse, to use offensive language
- закле́вам се (zaklévam se)to take an oath
- кълна́ се (kălná se)to take an oath
Catalan jurar
- jurarto take an oath
Chinese Mandarin 咒罵 /咒骂, 醜詆 /丑诋
- 咒罵 /咒骂 (zhòumà)to curse, to use offensive language
- 醜詆 /丑诋 (chǒudǐ)to curse, to use offensive language
- 罵人 /骂人 (màrén)to curse, to use offensive language
- 發誓 /发誓 (fāshì)to take an oath
- 賭咒 /赌咒 (dǔzhòu)to take an oath
Czech klít, přísahat
- klítto curse, to use offensive language
- přísahatto take an oath
Danish bande, sværge
- bandeto curse, to use offensive language
- sværgeto take an oath
Dutch vloeken, schelden
- vloekento curse, to use offensive language
- scheldento curse, to use offensive language
- zwerento take an oath
- een eed afleggento take an oath
Esperanto sakri, parolaĉi
- sakrito curse, to use offensive language
- parolaĉito curse, to use offensive language
- fiparolito curse, to use offensive language
- blasfemito curse, to use offensive language
- ĵurito take an oath
Estonian ropendama
- ropendamato curse, to use offensive language
Finnish kiroilla, vannoa
- kiroillato curse, to use offensive language
- vannoato take an oath
French jurer, gronder
- jurerto curse, to use offensive language
- gronderto curse, to use offensive language
- jurerto take an oath
German schimpfen, fluchen
- schimpfento curse, to use offensive language
- fluchento curse, to use offensive language
- schwörento take an oath
Greek βρίζω, ορκίζομαι
- βρίζω (vrízo)to curse, to use offensive language
- ορκίζομαι (orkízomai)to take an oath
Hebrew קִלֵּל, נשבע
- קִלֵּל (kilél)to curse, to use offensive language
- נשבע (nishbá)to take an oath
Hindi कोसना, गाली देना
- कोसना (kosnā)to curse, to use offensive language
- गाली देना (gālī denā)to curse, to use offensive language
Hungarian káromkodik, szitkozódik
- káromkodikto curse, to use offensive language
- szitkozódikto curse, to use offensive language
- esküszikto take an oath
Icelandic blóta, sverja
- blótato curse, to use offensive language
- sverjato take an oath
Italian insultare, bestemmiare
- insultareto curse, to use offensive language
- bestemmiareto curse, to use offensive language
- giurareto take an oath
Japanese 罵る, 悪態をつく
- 罵る (nonoshiru)to curse, to use offensive language
- 悪態をつく (akutai o tsuku)to curse, to use offensive language
- 怒鳴る (donaru)to curse, to use offensive language
- 誓う (chikau)to take an oath
- 契る (chigiru)to take an oath
Korean 욕을 하다, 맹세하다
- 욕을 하다 (yogeul hada)to curse, to use offensive language
- 맹세하다 (maengsehada)to take an oath
Latin iūrō
- iūrōto take an oath
Lithuanian keiktis
- keiktisto curse, to use offensive language
Māori kangakanga
- kangakangato curse, to use offensive language
Norwegian Bokmål banne, sverge
- banneto curse, to use offensive language
- svergeto curse, to use offensive language
- sverteto curse, to use offensive language
- svergeto take an oath
Persian فحش دادن, دشنام دادن
- فحش دادن (fohš dâdan)to curse, to use offensive language
- دشنام دادن (došnâm dâdan)to curse, to use offensive language
- سوگند خوردن (sowgand xordan)to take an oath
- قسم خوردن (qasam xordan)to take an oath
Polish kląć, zakląć
- kląćto curse, to use offensive language
- zakląćto curse, to use offensive language
- przeklinaćto curse, to use offensive language
- przekląćto curse, to use offensive language
- skląćto curse, to use offensive language
- wyklinaćto curse, to use offensive language
- bluzgaćto curse, to use offensive language
- bluznąćto curse, to use offensive language
- przysięgaćto take an oath
- przysiącto take an oath
- przyrzekaćto take an oath
- przyrzecto take an oath
Portuguese praguejar, xingar
- praguejarto curse, to use offensive language
- xingarto curse, to use offensive language
- jurarto take an oath
Romanian înjura, blestema
- înjurato curse, to use offensive language
- blestemato curse, to use offensive language
- jurato take an oath
Russian руга́ться, вы́ругаться
- руга́ться (rugátʹsja)to curse, to use offensive language
- вы́ругаться (výrugatʹsja)to curse, to use offensive language
- брани́ться (branítʹsja)to curse, to use offensive language
- скверносло́вить (skvernoslóvitʹ)to curse, to use offensive language
- матери́ться (materítʹsja)to curse, to use offensive language
- матюка́ться (matjukátʹsja)to curse, to use offensive language
- матюга́ться (matjugátʹsja)to curse, to use offensive language
- кля́сться (kljástʹsja)to take an oath
- покля́сться (pokljástʹsja)to take an oath
- присяга́ть (prisjagátʹ)to take an oath
- присягну́ть (prisjagnútʹ)to take an oath
Slovak kliať, prisahať
- kliaťto curse, to use offensive language
- prisahaťto take an oath
Spanish renegar, jurar
- renegarto curse, to use offensive language
- jurarto curse, to use offensive language
- echar ternosto curse, to use offensive language
- maldecirto curse, to use offensive language
- jurarto take an oath
Swahili -apa
- -apato take an oath
Swedish svära, svära
- svärato curse, to use offensive language
- svärato take an oath
- svärjato take an oath
Thai สบถ, สาบาน
- สบถ (sà-bòt)to curse, to use offensive language
- สาบาน (sǎa-baan)to take an oath
Turkish sövmek, küfretmek
- sövmekto curse, to use offensive language
- küfretmekto curse, to use offensive language
- ant içmekto take an oath
- yemin etmekto take an oath
Ukrainian ла́ятися, матюка́тися
- ла́ятися (lájatysja)to curse, to use offensive language
- матюка́тися (matjukátysja)to curse, to use offensive language
- кля́стися (kljástysja)to take an oath
- клясти́ся (kljastýsja)to take an oath
- покля́стися (pokljástysja)to take an oath
- поклясти́ся (pokljastýsja)to take an oath
- присяга́ти (prysjaháty)to take an oath
- присягну́ти (prysjahnúty)to take an oath
Vietnamese nói tục, văng tục
- nói tụcto curse, to use offensive language
- văng tụcto curse, to use offensive language
- nói bậyto curse, to use offensive language
- chửi tụcto curse, to use offensive language
- chửi bậyto curse, to use offensive language
- chửi thềto curse, to use offensive language
- chửito curse, to use offensive language
- thềto take an oath
Welsh melltithio, rhegi
- melltithioto curse, to use offensive language
- rhegito curse, to use offensive language
- tynguto take an oath
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with swear
Anagrams
Cite this entry
swear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swear
“swear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swear. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “swear,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swear.
Source: swear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.