imprecate

verb

im·​pre·​cate ˈim-pri-ˌkāt 

imprecated; imprecating

transitive verb

: to invoke evil on : curse

intransitive verb

: to utter curses

Did you know?

It may surprise you to learn that a word that refers to wishing evil upon someone has its roots in praying, but imprecate ultimately derives from the Latin verb precari, meaning "to pray, ask, or entreat." Precari is also the ancestor of such English words as deprecate (which once meant "to pray against an evil," though that sense is now archaic), precatory ("expressing a wish") and even pray itself (which has deeper roots in the Latin noun for a request or entreaty, prex).

Synonyms

• anathematize
• beshrew [archaic]
• curse
• maledict

Examples of imprecate in a Sentence

with her dying breath the witch imprecated the villagers for their relentless persecution of her

Word History

Etymology

Latin imprecatus, past participle of imprecari, from in- + precari to pray — more at pray

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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Kids Definition

imprecate

verb

im·​pre·​cate ˈim-pri-ˌkāt 

imprecated; imprecating

: curse entry 2 sense 1