curse and swear share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. curse means “profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger”. swear means “utter obscenities or profanities”. swear is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkɝs/
1.n.profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
“expletives were deleted”
2.n.an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group
3.n.an evil spell
“a witch put a curse on his whole family”
/ˈswɛɹ/
1.v.utter obscenities or profanities
“The drunken men were cursing loudly in the street”
2.v.to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
“Before God I swear I am innocent”
3.v.promise solemnly; take an oath
| curse | swear | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɝs/ | /ˈswɛɹ/ |
| Said | kurs | swer |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb |
| Senses | 9 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | curse word, expletive, oath | curse, cuss, blaspheme |
Full entry for curse · Full entry for swear · More comparisons