curse word

American  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of curse word

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

I’ve covered Nancy Pelosi for more than three decades and never once heard her utter a curse word, in public or private.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2025

Just one offensive or curse word can lead to a parental advisory label, so what’s defined as explicit can be subjective.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 3, 2023

Friends wonder whether they have ever heard Ryans use a curse word.

From Washington Post • Jan. 21, 2023

Raphael Bostic, president of the Atlanta Federal Reserve, joked Tuesday in separate remarks that “transitory” is now seen as the equivalent of a curse word at the Atlanta Fed.

From Washington Times • Oct. 13, 2021

I wasn’t quite bold enough to use the forbidden curse word aloud, but I thought of it several times quite happily as I made my way up the path and to Auntie Braxton’s house.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson