VocabauraVOCABAURA

curb

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To check, restrain or control.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

kurb
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈkɝb

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitive

    To check, restrain or control.

  2. transitive

    To damage vehicle wheels or tires by running into or over a pavement curb.

  3. transitive

    To furnish with a curb, as a well; to restrain by a curb, as a bank of earth.

  4. transitive

    To rein in.

  5. transitive

    To bend or curve.

  6. transitiveslang

    To stomp on someone's head, forcing it into a street curb (often while they are positioned with their teeth biting the curb).

noun

  1. A concrete margin along the edge of a road; a kerb (UK, Australia, New Zealand).

  2. figurative

    Something that checks or restrains; a restraint.

  3. canadaus

    A sidewalk, covered or partially enclosed, bordering the airport terminal road system with adjacent paved areas to permit vehicles to off-load or load passengers.

  4. A raised margin along the edge of something, such as a well or the eye of a dome, as a strengthening.

  5. A swelling on the back part of the hind leg of a horse, just behind the lowest part of the hock joint, generally causing lameness.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Moderately Common
Formality
Technical

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To check, restrain or control.

Used this way, curb is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use curb

  • “The dog was trained to sit at the curb before crossing the street.”

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “curb”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

curb marketcurb inflationcurb lineyork curbconcrete curb

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • bridle

    To check, restrain, or control with, or as if with, a bridle.

  • control

    To hold in check, to curb, to restrain.

  • inhibit

    To hold in or hold back.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • curbingnounInflected form

    An edge between a sidewalk and a roadway consisting of a line of curbstones (usually forming part of a gutter).

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • curb servicenounCompound term

    Service provided to customers who remain in their vehicles.

  • curb roofnounCompound term

    A roof with two or more slopes on each side of the ridge.

  • curb marketnounCompound term

    A stock market for trading in securities not listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

  • curb bitnounCompound term

    A horse's bit with an attached chain or strap to check the horse.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

  • curbsidenounRelated term

    The side of a sidewalk that is bordered by a curb.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

verb

Sense: to check or restrain or control

bridlecontrolinhibitsubdue

noun

Sense: concrete margin along the edge of a road

kerbRegional

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “curb” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.