SWEARING Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

swearing 1 of 2

noun

as in profanity

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swearing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of swear

as in cursing

to use offensive or indecent language no one is allowed to swear in this house

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in vowing

to make a solemn declaration of intent swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in testifying

to make a solemn declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact the sworn statement of the witness was presented as evidence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of swearing

Noun

Katseye doesn’t seem to get in as much trouble as K-pop idols have in the past for swearing; a patina of unruliness has endeared the group to its followers. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026 Blanche’s swearing-in Monday took place behind closed doors at the White House, despite similar events previously being open to the press. — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 The 48-year-old chose the southwestern city, which has been hit hard by drug violence and attacks from rebel groups, as the site of his swearing-in. — Manuel Rueda, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026 Security became the main challenge of the swearing-in ceremony. — Astrid Suárez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 Josiah Peeler was charged with false swearing for allegedly lying to law enforcement. — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 Even before the swearing-in ceremony, supporters flooded social media with the same partisan trademark fervor of veteran politicians, suggesting that while the faces may be new, political habits remain the same. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026 Another football player, Josiah Peeler, 18, was charged with false swearing. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 The other, Josiah Peeler, has been charged with false swearing. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Verb

Kito showed Becerra a picture of the then-congressman swearing him in as a neighborhood council president more than a decade ago. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 As Sportico detailed last year, McEnroe remembers MSG employees asking Oakley to leave and Oakley responding by swearing at them. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Those reactions may lead you to respond by rolling your eyes, swearing at the steering wheel or flipping off the driver. — Jessica Griffin, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026 The premise isn’t all that deep, its a bunch of feral alley cats swearing a lot. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026 Ormund buckles easily enough, dropping to his knee and swearing fealty to Daenerys. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026 Social media videos show drivers aghast at the lines or swearing at empty gas pumps and rising prices. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 The Atlanta Police Department later released bodycam footage to TMZ, which showed Poirier attempting to fight a police officer and swearing at airline employees. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 The trio signed the papers swearing their allegiance to the United States of America, not King George the Third. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swearing

Noun

In 2021, he was banned from attending basketball games for a season after yelling profanity at a player.

— J.D. Miles, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Wilson subsequently alleged that Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted her inside the arena and used profanity while criticizing her support for Cunningham.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of profanity

Verb

Video that the teen lobster diver's family shared with ABC Miami affiliate WSVN allegedly shows Simpson swimming away from the third lung and back to the Contender vessel as people on Del Sol's boat began yelling and cursing at him.

— Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Obumseli chronicled their arguments in a series of recordings, which caught Clenney angrily screaming, berating and cursing him out using racist slurs.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

Definition of cursing

Verb

Trade talks between Canada and the United States failed at the last minute on Friday night, reigniting the North American trade war, with Ottawa vowing to match Washington’s tariffs.

— Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
The senator is seeking to pressure FWS to change course by vowing to place a hold on any nominees the president plans to bring before the upper chamber this fall.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of vowing

Verb

Kirk Heilbrun, a forensic psychologist who evaluated Clancy in April, concluded his testimony Tuesday, testifying that Clancy was suffering from a form of bipolar disorder, but could still appreciate that killing her children was wrong.

— Melina Khan, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
The investigators who haven’t already died are almost all retired, some of them awkwardly testifying via Zoom with technical difficulties from homes far away.

— Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of testifying

Verb

But did anyone not see Seattle Storm owner Celeste Keaton cussing at kids?

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, a local store director of Nordstrom, Marco Esquivel, was caught berating and cussing at the girls, their mothers and fellow Cunningham supporters.

— Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of cussing

Verb

First Up Shares of Moderna retreated by nearly 24% Thursday on the heels of their record-setting 176% stock surge, which was prompted by promising news of their personalized cancer vaccine.

— Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Now, Moderna cofounder Robert Langer has re-entered the billionaires club following promising cancer vaccine trials that sent the company’s stock soaring.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of promising

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Style

“Swearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swearing. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of swearing

noun

verb

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