Swear

/swɛər/

Meaning & Definition

noun

an oath or a promise.

He gave his swear to uphold the laws of the country.

verb

to make a solemn promise or oath.

He swore to tell the truth in court.

to use profane or offensive language.

She swore loudly when she stubbed her toe.

to affirm or assure with a strong promise.

I swear I didn’t take your book.

Middle English swearen, from Old English swerian, related to Latin 'suadere', meaning to advise.

swear by:

To be completely confident in something.

swear off:

To formally reject or renounce something.

swear to God:

To emphasize the truthfulness of one's statement.

To seriously emphasize a statement.

I swear on my mother's grave!

To use strong language that may be offensive.

He swore a lot during the argument.