cuss

1 of 2

noun

ˈkəs 

1

a

: curse sense 1

b

: curse sense 2

2

: fellow sense 4c

cuss

2 of 2

verb

cussed; cussing; cusses

transitive verb

: curse

—often used with out

got cussed out by his boss

intransitive verb

: curse

cusser noun

Synonyms

Noun

• curse
• cussword
• dirty word
• expletive
• four-letter word
• obscenity
• profanity
• swear
• swearword
• vulgarism

Verb

• blaspheme
• curse
• swear

Examples of cuss in a Sentence

Noun

a man who has never uttered a single cuss

Verb

She started to yell and cuss as soon as she saw him.

the little girl clapped her hands over her ears when her brother started cussing

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time. —Virginia Konchan, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024

My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit. —Jim Meddleton, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2024

Verb

The cussing example is a case, like the side-eye meme, where Black internet users identify with the vice president’s nod to Black culture, in this case through Ebonics. —Raven Maragh-Lloyd, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025

Song constantly cusses in real life, though, and says that her community doesn't bat an eye at profanity. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of curse

First Known Use

Noun

1771, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1768, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing cuss

• cuss out

Kids Definition

cuss

1 of 2 noun

ˈkəs 

1

: curse entry 1 sense 2

2

: fellow entry 1 sense 4a

an ornery cuss

cuss

2 of 2 verb

: swear sense 5