swear

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To use rude or offensive language.

   He swore loudly when he hit his thumb with the hammer.

2. 2
   verb

   To promise strongly that something is true.

   I swear I don't know what you're talking about.

3. 3
   verb

   To make a serious, formal, often legally binding promise.

   The new president swore to serve the people honestly.

4. 4
   verb

   To promise in court that what you say is true.

   The witness swore that she had seen the man leave the bank.

5. 5
   noun

   A rude or offensive word.

   The child repeated a swear he had heard at school.

Multiword verbs with swear

• swear in Phrasal verb B1

  to admit someone formally to office by having them take an oath

• swear off Prepositional verb B1

  to promise firmly to stop doing or using something

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Swear is an Old English word that first meant “make a solemn declaration.” Near the end of the 14th century it developed its association with bad language through the use of sacred names in oaths.

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”) throug…

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary