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swearword

swearword

1 7.2
A rude word people say when they are angry or surprised
  • noun
  • /ˈswɛrˌwɝd/
  • Offensive
translation icon : palabrota
  • It contains swearwords, rape, racism, pornography, self-harm, suicide, domestic violence, heroin and marijuana use, a character who contemplates child abuse, and graphic descriptions of sex.

Examples

  • Teachers usually discourage students from using swearwords in the classroom.

  • Matthew says, truly shocked to hear an English swearword out of his mother's mouth.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Their voices are young, and all he can make out are the swearwords.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I believe it's rooted in the fact that it'll take another generation or two until the world "gay" stops being a swearword.

    Blog text (2)
  • They've heard every swearword we've ever spoken.

  • You said a swearword.

  • MB/Bre are swearwords in most hackerspace 3D printer circles.

    Blog text (7)
  • Mostly about the divorce and their father's absence from their lives, but also the meaning of swearwords, the reasons people were so often unkind to one another, pregnancy and childbirth, sex, and all its intricacies.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Yes, I can do that. All her desire to be a nurse, all her open, generous nature brought into play, would be stymied some years later when, wanting to train as a nurse, her mother said, shocking her with the only swearword she'd ever heard her mother say, "I won't have you wiping up other people's shit."

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The constant noise of the crowd, the breath and hum, a basso rumble building now and then, the genderness of what they share in their experience of the game, or how a man will scratch his wrist or shape a line of swearwords.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

damn
vsswearword
  • NSFW
6.7

Said to show anger, surprise or annoyance

is the overall label for profane terms, not just this single common exclamation
goddamn
vsswearword
  • Offensive
659 9.2

Shows strong anger, annoyance, or surprise in rude informal speech

is the wider category of profane words used for strong emotion
fuck you
vsswearword
  • Offensive
441 9.9

A rude word said to show anger or insult someone

refers to the category of profane speech, not specifically aimed insults
goddamned
vsswearword
  • Offensive
121 9.9

Shows strong anger or annoyance in a rude way

is the general group of obscene emotional words rather than one specific form
expletive
vsswearword
  • Offensive
55 8.2

A rude word used to show strong anger or surprise

is the general label for such profane expressions rather than a single example
obscenity
vsswearword
  • Offensive
50 7.4

Sexual or rude material that offends people

focuses on single obscene words used to show emotion rather than all obscene acts
goddammit
vsswearword
  • Offensive
50 9.9

A rude strong swear word people say when angry or frustrated

is the general class of obscene exclamations rather than one word
curse
vsswearword
  • Offensive
49 3.9

A bad word said in anger

is the broad category that groups these offensive utterances
profanity
vsswearword
  • Offensive
43 6.0

Words that are rude and upset people, often about religion

focuses on single obscene words used to express strong emotion, not actions
for fuck's sake
vsswearword
  • Offensive
33 9.9

A very rude phrase people say to show strong anger or annoyance

is the general type of profane emotional terms, not one particular phrase
dirty word
vsswearword
  • NSFW
18 7.1

A word people think is rude or not polite

is the general label for such words used to show strong feeling
fucking hell
vsswearword
  • Offensive
14 9.9

A strong rude shout people use when they feel very angry or shocked

is the general category of profane expressions, not one specific cry
oath
vsswearword
  • Offensive
11 6.1

A rude word said to show strong anger or surprise

is the general class covering many such emotional expressions
curse word
vsswearword
  • Offensive
8 5.8

A rude word people say to show strong anger or surprise

is the broad category including all such offensive emotional words
friggin
vsswearword
  • NSFW
6 9.1

To show strong anger, surprise, or emphasis

covers all profane words including harsh and mild forms, not only mild ones
frelling
vsswearword
  • Slang
2 9.9

A mild swear people use to add emphasis or show anger

is the broad category of offensive emotional words, not a niche fictional substitute
cuss
vsswearword
  • NSFW
2 8.6

A rude word people say when they are angry

is the general term for these offensive exclamations rather than one example
fucken
vsswearword
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A rude strong word said to show anger or surprise

belongs to the broad set of profane words used to show emotion
muthafucka
vsswearword
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A very rude exclamation showing strong anger or surprise

is the general class of offensive emotional words rather than one extreme example
cussword
vsswearword
  • Offensive
1 8.6

A rude word people use when angry or to insult someone

is the wider label for such words, not a single instance
vulgarism
vsswearword
  • Offensive
1 9.2

An offensive or rude word considered inappropriate in polite speech

is the general term for offensive words used to show strong feelings
fricking
vsswearword
  • Slang
1 9.7

Say to show anger, surprise, or frustration

is the category of obscene expressions, not the milder substitute forms
vulgar term
vsswearword
  • Offensive
9.8

A rude word about sex or body parts

is the broader category for offensive words expressing emotion or disgust
effing
vsswearword
  • NSFW
9.9

To make what you say sound stronger, like a mild swear

refers to the full set of obscene words rather than mild substitutes
frig
vsswearword
  • NSFW
9.9

A short angry or surprised word people say when something goes wrong

means the overall class of profane expressions rather than this soft form
what the cuss
vsswearword
  • Informal
9.9

A short angry or surprised shout used instead of a rude word

refers to the direct offensive words rather than these euphemistic forms
the a-word
vsswearword
  • NSFW
9.9

A polite phrase for a rude word that starts with A, for example ass

means the actual offensive word rather than this indirect reference
the b-word
vsswearword
  • Offensive
9.9

A polite phrase people use instead of a rude word for a woman

applies to the explicit offensive term itself rather than the polite hint
the f-word
vsswearword
  • Offensive
9.9

A polite way to talk about the very rude word 'fuck' without saying it

is the direct obscene word used openly, not the indirect label
the t-word
vsswearword
  • NSFW
9.9

A polite way to talk about a word or topic that makes people upset

means the actual taboo word rather than this indirect reference
putain
vsswearword
  • Offensive
9.9

A strong French bad word people say to show anger or surprise

is the English category of profane words, not a foreign example
frick
vsswearword
  • Slang
9.9

A mild bad word people say to show anger or surprise

is the wider set of obscene expressions including harsh and mild ones

How Offensive

obscenity
  • Offensive
50 7.4
swearword
  • Offensive
1 7.2
exclamation
5 3.2
neutral
24 3.5

Surface Forms

swearword singular
swearwords plural

Morphology

swearword = swear + word (transparent) = swear + word

The sense is directly and predictably derived from 'swear' + 'word': a word used for swearing.

Etymology

Swearword comes from the parts swear (originally meaning 'to make an oath' or 'promise') and word. Over time swear also came to mean 'use strong or rude language', so a swearword is a word used for swearing, a rude or offensive word.