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Swear vs Cuss - What's the difference?

swear | cuss |

As verbs the difference between swear and cuss

is that swear is to take an oath or swear can be to be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours while cuss is to use cursing, to use bad language, to speak profanely.

As nouns the difference between swear and cuss

is that swear is a swearword while cuss is a curse or cuss can be a fellow, person.

As an adjective swear

is heavy.

swear

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) sweren, swerien, from (etyl) through Proto-Indo-European.

Verb

  • To take an oath.
  • *
  • *:The Bat—they called him the Bat.. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
  • (lb) To use offensive language.
    • Synonyms
    * See also
    Usage notes
    * In sense 1, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See
    Synonyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * swear by * swear like a trooper * swear on a stack of Bibles * swear out * swear to God * swear word

    Etymology 2

    From the above verb, or from (etyl) sware, from (etyl) swaru, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A swearword.

    • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) swer, swar, from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l), (l)

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Heavy.
  • Top-heavy; too high.
  • Dull; heavy; lazy; slow; reluctant; unwilling.
  • Niggardly.
  • A lazy time; a short rest during working hours (especially field labour); a siesta.
    • Derived terms
    * (l) * (l) * (l)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours.

    • Anagrams

    * English irregular verbs English reporting verbs

    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.