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swear

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swear¹

  • /ˈswɛə(ɹ)/ UK
  • /ˈswɛɚ/ US
  • /ˈsweː/ Australia
  • /ˈsweə/
  • /ˈswe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈswiə/
  • /ˈsweɹ/ Scotland
  • /ˈswɜː(ɹ)/

Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

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).

verb swears · swearing · swore · sware · sworn

  1. ambitransitive To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect. The knight swore not to return to the palace until he had found the treasure.
  2. transitive To take an oath that an assertion is true. The witness swore that the person she had seen running out of the bank was a foot shorter than the accused.
  3. transitive To promise intensely that something is true; to strongly assert. I swear I don't know what you're talking about.
  4. transitive To administer an oath to (a person). Let the witness be sworn.
  5. ambitransitive To use offensive, profane, or obscene language. An Australian was once appointed on contract, but he swore too much.

Similar: swear, blaspheme, curse, curse like a pagan, curse like a trooper, curse like a sailor, cuss, eff and blind, eff and jeff, execrate, imprecate, swear like a cutter

swear²

  • /ˈswɛə(ɹ)/ UK
  • /ˈswɛɚ/ US
  • /ˈsweː/ Australia
  • /ˈsweə/
  • /ˈswe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈswiə/
  • /ˈsweɹ/ Scotland
  • /ˈswɜː(ɹ)/

Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From the above verb, or from Middle English sware, from Old English swaru, from Proto-Germanic *swarō.

noun swears

  1. A swear word. 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.

swear³

  • /ˈswɛə(ɹ)/ UK
  • /ˈswɛɚ/ US
  • /ˈsweː/ Australia
  • /ˈsweə/
  • /ˈswe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈswiə/
  • /ˈsweɹ/ Scotland
  • /ˈswɜː(ɹ)/

Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

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”).

adjective swearer · more swear · swearest · most swear · sweer · sweir

  1. Northern England, Scotland Heavy.
  2. Northern England, Scotland Top-heavy; too high.
  3. Northern England, Scotland Dull; 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.
  4. Northern England, Scotland Reluctant; unwilling. But faith, to glump ye I'd be sweer / I wish ye luck o' this new year
  5. Northern England, Scotland Niggardly. For if my Pen shall turn as Sweir's their Purse / I fear this is the last I'll write in Verse

noun swears · sweer · sweir · swere

  1. Northern England, Scotland A lazy time; a short rest during working hours (especially field labour); a siesta.

verb swears · swearing · sweared · sweer · sweir

  1. Northern England, Scotland To be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours.

Similar: swear, blaspheme, curse, curse like a pagan, curse like a trooper, curse like a sailor, cuss, eff and blind, eff and jeff, execrate, imprecate, swear like a cutter

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