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swear

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To promise intensely that something is true.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

swehr
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈswɛɹ

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 promise intensely that something is true; to strongly assert.

  2. ambitransitive

    To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect.

  3. ambitransitive

    To use offensive, profane, or obscene language.

  4. transitive

    To take an oath that an assertion is true.

  5. transitive

    To administer an oath to (a person).

noun

  1. A swear word.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To promise intensely that something is true; to strongly assert.

Used this way, swear 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
Moderate
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Nearby words

  • cuss , more casual, better suited to speech than writing
  • affirm , a specialist term, precise but narrower

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

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

swear wordssolemnly swearswear allegiance

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • swearingnounInflected form

    Profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • swear outverbCompound term

    Deliver a warrant or summons to someone.

  • swear inverbCompound term

    Administer on oath to.

  • swear offverbCompound term

    Promise to abstain from.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: to promise intensely that something is true

cursecussInformal

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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.