swear
swear is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 8 senses, and appears in Roget's Thesaurus (1911) with 40 related terms. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.
Definitions
- 1.I swear by all the Roman gods. Shak.
- 2.(Law) To give evidence on oath; as, to swear to the truth of a statement; he swore against the prisoner.
- 3.To make an appeal to God in an irreverant manner; to use the name of God or sacred things profanely; to call upon God in imprecation; to curse. [I] swore little; diced not above seven times a week. Shak. To swear by, to place great confidence in a person or thing; to trust implicitly as an authority. "I simply meant to ask if you are one of those who swear by Lord Verulam." Miss Edgeworth. -- To swear off, to make a solemn vow, or a serious resolution, to abstain from something; as, to swear off smoking. [Slang]
- 4.To utter or affirm with a solemn appeal to God for the truth of the declaration; to make (a promise, threat, or resolve) under oath. Swear unto me here by God, that thou wilt not deal falsely with me. Gen. xxi.
- 5.He swore consent to your succession. Shak.
- 6.(Law) To put to an oath; to cause to take an oath; to administer an oath to; -- ofetn followed by in or into; as, to swear witnesses; to swear a jury; to swear in an officer; he was sworn into office.
- 7.To declare or charge upon oath; as, he swore treason against his friend. Johnson.
- 8.To appeal to by an oath. Now, by Apollo, king, Thou swear'st thy gods in vain. Shak. To swear the peace against one, to make oath that one is under the actual fear of death or bodily harm from the person, in which case the person must find sureties that he will keep the peace.
Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
Synonyms
Related terms (Roget's 1911)
- abnegation
- abstain
- abstainer
- abstemious
- abstemiousness
- abstinence
- abstinent
- alcoholic
- are
- compass
- deny
- driver
- dry
- enough
- forbear
- forbearance
- frugal
- frugality
- gymnosophist
- had
- has
- know
- limit
- measured
- moderate
- moderation
- off
- one
- oneself
- pledge
- pour
- prohibition
- refrain
- resolution
- self-control
- self-denial
- self-restraint
- sober
- soberness
- sobriety
Source: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
Related questions
Reverse-dictionary questions
Definition-first questions whose answer is swear.
- What is to give evidence on oath; as, to swear to the truth of a statement; he swore against the prisoner called?
- What is he swore consent to your succession. Shak called?
- What is to put to an oath; to cause to take an oath; to administer an oath to; -- ofetn followed by in or into; as, to swear witnesses; to swear a jury; to swear in an officer; he was sworn into office called?
- What is to declare or charge upon oath; as, he swore treason against his friend. Johnson called?
Sources
- Definitions: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Synonyms: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/word/swear
- Steward: Jason Burns