curse word

noun

1. a profane or obscene word, especially as used in anger or for emphasis; curse.

   Synonyms: swear word, profanity, obscenity, oath, cussword, cuss

2. any term conceived of as offensive.

Word History and Origins

Origin of curse word¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

When it was retooled as a raunchy R-rated affair, Rogen and Goldberg were brought aboard the project to inject it with a healthy dose of curse words and sex references.

From TechCrunch

When I was teaching at Eastern High School in the early 1990s, we forbade our students from wearing T-shirts popular with their generation that sported curse words and gun imagery.

From Washington Post

I’ve been approved for many curse words, but I’m going to try to save our PR guy.

From Washington Post

The more curse words or derogatory remarks you throw in, that could work.

From Freakonomics