Swear Meaning

/ˈswɛə(ɹ)/
B1

Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Listen pronunciation

verbTo take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect.

verbTo take an oath that an assertion is true.

You should swear on the Bible.
They won't believe me even if I swear it is true.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
Before testifying in court, the witness must ____ to tell the whole truth.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I ____ that I will do my best to complete the project on time and to a very high standard today.

From Middle English sweren, swerien, from Old English swerian (“to swear, take an oath of office”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarjan, from Proto-Germanic *swarjaną (“to speak, swear”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to swear”). Cognate with West Frisian swarre (“to swear”), Saterland Frisian swera (“to swear”), Dutch zweren (“to swear, vow”), Low German swören (“to swear”), sweren, German schwören (“to swear”), Danish sværge, Swedish svära (“to swear”), Icelandic sverja (“to swear”), Russian свара (svara, “quarrel”). Also cognate to Albanian var (“to hang, consider, to depend from”) through Proto-Indo-European. The original sense in all Germanic languages is “to take an oath”. The sense “to use bad language” developed in Middle English and is based on the Christian prohibition against swearing in general (cf. Matthew 5:33-37) and invoking God’s name in particular (i.e. frequent swearing was considered similar to the use of obscene words).

"The Bat—they called him the Bat.[…]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face." — 1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, chapter I, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 01:
"An Australian was once appointed on contract, but he swore too much." — 1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 38:
"You might think it funny to hear this Kanaka girl come out with a big swear. No such thing. There was no swearing in her — no, nor anger; she was beyond anger, and meant the word simple and serious." — 1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Beach of Falesá:
"[A]ccording to his kind the man would smile cynically, or look sad, or let out a swear or two." — 1900, Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, page v. 27:
"Rise up gueedewife, an dinna be sweer, / B'soothan, b'soothan, / An deal yir chirity t' the peer, / An awa b'mony a toon." — 1881, Walter Gregor, chapter XXII, in Notes on the Folk-lore of the North-east of Scotland, London: Folk-Lore Society, page 161:

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CEFR Practice Quiz
Before testifying in court, the witness must ____ to tell the whole truth.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I ____ that I will do my best to complete the project on time and to a very high standard today.

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