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Expletive vs Cuss - What's the difference?

expletive | cuss |

As nouns the difference between expletive and cuss

is that expletive is a profane, vulgar term, notably a curse or obscene oath while cuss is a curse or cuss can be a fellow, person.

As an adjective expletive

is serving to fill up, merely for effect, otherwise redundant.

As a verb cuss is

to use cursing, to use bad language, to speak profanely.

expletive

English

(wikipedia expletive)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Serving to fill up, merely for effect, otherwise redundant.
  • * Hallam
    • Expletive imagery.
  • * Barrow
    • Expletive phrases to plump his speech.
  • Marked by expletives (phrase-fillers).

    • Synonyms

    * expletory

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A profane, vulgar term, notably a curse or obscene oath.
  • (linguistics) A word without meaning added to fill a syntactic position.
  • (linguistics) A word that adds to the strength of a phrase without affecting its meaning; an intensifier.

    • References

    *

    cuss

    English

    Etymology 1

    American English dialect pronunciation of (m).

    Verb

    (es)
  • To use cursing, to use bad language, to speak profanely.
    • Derived terms
    * cuss out

    Noun

    (cusses)
  • A curse.
  • A curse word.

    • Etymology 2

    .

    Noun

    (cusses)
  • A fellow, person.