What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Boon vs Curse - What's the difference?

boon | curse |

As nouns the difference between boon and curse

is that boon is a prayer; petition while curse is a supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane.

As an adjective boon

is good; prosperous; as, "boon voyage.

As a verb curse is

to place a curse upon (a person or object).

boon

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) A prayer; petition.
  • * :
  • For which to God he made so many an idle boon
  • (archaic) That which is asked or granted as a benefit or favor; a gift; a favour; benefaction; a grant; a present.
  • * :
  • Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above
  • * 1872 , (James De Mille), The Cryptogram :
  • I gave you life. Can you not return the boon by giving me death, my lord?
  • A good; a blessing or benefit; a great privilege; a thing to be thankful for.
  • *{{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author= Catherine Clabby
  • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= Focus on Everything , passage=Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus.
  • An unpaid service due by a tenant to his lord.
  • Synonyms
    * blessing * benefit
    Antonyms
    * bane

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) boon, bone, from .

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (obsolete) good; prosperous; as, "boon voyage"
  • kind; bountiful; benign
  • * Milton
  • Which Nature boon / Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain.
  • gay; merry; jovial; convivial
  • * Arbuthnot
  • a boon companion, loving his bottle
  • * Episode 16
  • --No, Mr Bloom repeated again, I wouldn't personally repose much trust in that boon companion of yours who contributes the humorous element, if I were in your shoes.
    Quotations
    * Which ... Nature boon Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain — * A boon companion, loving his bottle —

    Etymology 3

    From Gaelic and Irish via Scots.

    Noun

    (-)
  • The woody portion of flax, separated from the fiber as refuse matter by retting, braking, and scutching.
  • (Webster 1913)

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    curse

    English

    Noun

    (wikipedia curse) (en noun)
  • A supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane.
  • A prayer or imprecation that harm may befall someone.
  • The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment.
  • * Shakespeare
  • The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance.
  • A vulgar epithet.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-14, author= Sam Leith
  • , volume=189, issue=1, page=37, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Where the profound meets the profane , passage=Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths. Consider for a moment the origins of almost any word we have for bad language – "profanity", "curses ", "oaths" and "swearing" itself.}}
  • (slang) A woman's menses.
  • Derived terms

    * curse of Scotland

    Verb

  • (lb) To place a curse upon (a person or object).
  • *
  • *:Captain Edward Carlisle; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed' the fate which had assigned such a duty, ' cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.
  • To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
  • *Bible, (w) xxii. 28
  • *:Thou shalt notcurse the ruler of thy people.
  • (lb) To speak or shout a vulgar curse or epithet.
  • (lb) To use offensive or morally inappropriate language.
  • *Bible, (w) xxi. 74
  • *:Then began he to curse and to swear.
  • *(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • *:His spirits hear me, / And yet I need must curse .
  • To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment.
  • *(Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)
  • *:On impious realms and barbarous kings impose / Thy plagues, and curse 'em with such sons as those.
  • Synonyms

    * (sense) swear

    Antonyms

    * bless

    Anagrams

    * * * ----