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swear

swear
S s

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [swair]
    • /swɛər/
    • /sweə(r)/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [swair]
    • /swɛər/

Definitions of swear word

  • verb without object swear to make a solemn declaration or affirmation by some sacred being or object, as a deity or the Bible. 1
  • verb without object swear to bind oneself by oath. 1
  • verb without object swear to give evidence or make a statement on oath. 1
  • verb without object swear to use profane oaths or language: Don't swear in front of the children. 1
  • verb with object swear to declare, affirm, attest, etc., by swearing by a deity, some sacred object, etc. 1
  • verb with object swear to affirm, assert, or say with solemn earnestness. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of swear

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English sweren, Old English swerian; cognate with German schwören, Old Norse sverja; akin to Gothic swaran to swear; see answer

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Swear

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

swear popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 89% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

swear usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for swear

noun swear

  • affiance — to bind (a person or oneself) in a promise of marriage; betroth
  • four-letter word — any of a number of short words, usually of four letters, considered offensive or vulgar because of their reference to excrement or sex.

verb swear

  • affirm — If you affirm that something is true or that something exists, you state firmly and publicly that it is true or exists.
  • angeled — one of a class of spiritual beings; a celestial attendant of God. In medieval angelology, angels constituted the lowest of the nine celestial orders (seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominations or dominions, virtues, powers, principalities or princedoms, archangels, and angels).
  • angeling — one of a class of spiritual beings; a celestial attendant of God. In medieval angelology, angels constituted the lowest of the nine celestial orders (seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominations or dominions, virtues, powers, principalities or princedoms, archangels, and angels).
  • assert — If someone asserts a fact or belief, they state it firmly.
  • assure — If you assure someone that something is true or will happen, you tell them that it is definitely true or will definitely happen, often in order to make them less worried.

Top questions with swear

  • who sings i swear?
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See also

Matching words

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