First published 1893; not yet revised More entries for "cursed"
cursedadjective
Factsheet
What does the adjective cursed mean?
There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective cursed, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
cursed has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the adjective cursed?
About 1occurrence per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 1.9 |
| 1760 | 1.7 |
| 1770 | 1.5 |
| 1780 | 1.5 |
| 1790 | 1.6 |
| 1800 | 1.8 |
| 1810 | 1.9 |
| 1820 | 1.9 |
| 1830 | 1.9 |
| 1840 | 1.8 |
| 1850 | 1.8 |
| 1860 | 1.7 |
| 1870 | 1.6 |
| 1880 | 1.6 |
| 1890 | 1.6 |
| 1900 | 1.6 |
| 1910 | 1.5 |
| 1920 | 1.5 |
| 1930 | 1.4 |
| 1940 | 1.2 |
| 1950 | 1.1 |
| 1960 | 0.94 |
| 1970 | 0.92 |
| 1980 | 0.97 |
| 1990 | 1.1 |
| 2000 | 1.2 |
| 2010 | 1.3 |
How is the adjective cursed pronounced?
British English
/ˈkəːsᵻd/
KUR-suhd
/kəːst/
kursst
U.S. English
/ˈkərsəd/
KUR-suhd
/kərst/
kurrsst
Where does the adjective cursed come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the adjective cursed is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for cursed is from around 1386, in the writing of Geoffrey Chaucer, poet and administrator.
cursed is formed within English, by derivation.
Etymons: curse v., ‑ed suffix1.
Nearby entries
- curry puff, n.1864–
- curry rice, n.1859–
- curry sauce, n.1795–
- curry tree, n.1892–
- currywurst, n.1960–
- cursal, adj.1872–
- cursant, adj.1572
- cursarary, adj.1632
- curse, n.Old English–
- curse, v.Old English–
- cursed, adj.c1386–
- cursedhead, n.1382–1400
- cursedhood, n.a1382
- cursedly, adv.c1386–
- cursedness, n.1303–
- cursed thistle, n.1884–
- cursee, n.1829–
- curseful, adj.a1382–
- cursefully, adv.1606
- cursement, n.1393
- curse-mete, n.1844–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for cursed, adj.
cursed, adj. was first published in 1893; not yet revised.
cursed, adj. was last modified in December 2023.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into cursed, adj. in December 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1893)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for cursed, adj.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- curry puff, n.1864–
- curry rice, n.1859–
- curry sauce, n.1795–
- curry tree, n.1892–
- currywurst, n.1960–
- cursal, adj.1872–
- cursant, adj.1572
- cursarary, adj.1632
- curse, n.Old English–
- curse, v.Old English–
- cursed, adj.c1386–
- cursedhead, n.1382–1400
- cursedhood, n.a1382
- cursedly, adv.c1386–
- cursedness, n.1303–
- cursed thistle, n.1884–
- cursee, n.1829–
- curseful, adj.a1382–
- cursefully, adv.1606
- cursement, n.1393
- curse-mete, n.1844–
