swear
UK /ˈswɛə(ɹ)/ · US /ˈswɛɚ/ verb, noun, adjective
Forms swears swearing swore sware sworn swearer swearest sweared sweer sweir swere
- verb (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.”
- verb (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.”
- verb (transitive) To promise intensely that something is true; to strongly assert. “I swear I don't know what you're talking about.”
- verb (transitive) To administer an oath to (a person). “Let the witness be sworn.”
- verb (ambitransitive) To use offensive, profane, or obscene language.
- noun A swear word.
- adjective (Northern England, Scotland) Heavy.
- adjective (Northern England, Scotland) Top-heavy; too high.
- adjective (Northern England, Scotland) Dull; lazy; slow.
- adjective (Northern England, Scotland) Reluctant; unwilling.
- adjective (Northern England, Scotland) Niggardly.
- noun (Northern England, Scotland) A lazy time; a short rest during working hours (especially field labour); a siesta.
- verb (Northern England, Scotland) To be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours.
Synonyms
pledge vow depose affirm testify curse execrate turn the air blue blaspheme curse like a pagan curse like a trooper curse like a sailor cuss eff and blind eff and jeff imprecate swear like a cutter swear like a pagan swear like a trooper swear like a sailor verify assert avow aver swan depone trust rely bank
Antonyms
Etymology
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).
From the above verb, or from Middle English sware, from Old English swaru, from Proto-Germanic *swarō.
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”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To affirm or utter a solemn declaration, with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed; to make a promise, threat, or resolve on oath; also, to affirm solemnly by some sacred object, or one regarded as sacred, as the Bible, the Koran, etc. Ye shall swear by my name falsely. Lev. xix. 12.
- verb To give evidence on oath; as, to swear to the truth of a statement; he swore against the prisoner.
- verb To utter or affirm with a solemn appeal to God for the truth of the declaration; to make (a promise, threat, or resolve) under oath.
- verb To put to an oath; to cause to take an oath; to administer an oath to; --ofetn followed by in or into; as, to swear witnesses; to swear a jury; to swear in an officer; he was sworn into office.
Etymology [OE. swerien, AS. swerian; akin to D. zweren, OS. swerian, OHG. swerien, G. schwören, Icel. sverja, Sw. svärja, Dan. sværge, Icel. & Sw. svara to answer, Dan. svare, Dan. & Sw. svar an answer, Goth. swaran to swear, and perhaps to E. swarm. *177. Cf. Answer.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “swear”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details