different between worry vs curse

English

Etymology

From Middle English worien, werien, wirien, wirwen, wyry?en (“to choke, strangle”), from Old English wyr?an, from Proto-Germanic *wurgijan?, from Proto-Indo-European *wer??- (“bind, squeeze”). Cognate with Dutch worgen, wurgen, German würgen. Compare Latin urgere (“to press, push”), Sanskrit ????? (v?hati, “to tear out, pluck”), Lithuanian ver?žti (“to string; squeeze”), Russian (poetic) ?????????? (otverzát?, “to open”, literally “to untie”). Related to wring.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General New Zealand, General Australian) IPA^(key): /?w??i/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?w??i/, /?w?i/
• (General New Zealand, General Australian, non-standard) IPA^(key): /?w??i/
• (West Country, nonstandard) IPA^(key): /?w???i/
• (accents without the "Hurry-furry" merger)
• (accents with the "Hurry-furry" merger)
• Rhymes: -?ri

Homophone: wurry

Verb

worry (third-person singular simple present worries, present participle worrying, simple past and past participle worried)

1. (intransitive) To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt.

2. (transitive) Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress.

3. (transitive) To harass; to irritate or distress.

4. (transitive) To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.
5. (transitive) To touch repeatedly, to fiddle with.
   • 1997, David Sedaris, "A Plague of Tics", Naked, page 15:

     So what if I wanted to touch my nose to the windshield? Who was it hurting? Why was it that he could repeatedly worry his change and bite his lower lip without the threat of punishment?

   • 2002, Masha Hamilton, Staircase of a Thousand Steps, page 272:

     No stories, no arguments. He just worries his prayer beads.

6. (transitive, obsolete, Scotland) To strangle.
   • 1891, Journal of Jurisprudence and Scottish Law Magazine (1891), Execution of the Judgment of Death, page 397:

     We read (Law's Memor. Pref. lix.) that "one John Brugh, a notorious warlock (wizard) in the parochin of Fossoquhy, by the space of thirty-six years, was worried at a stake and burned, 1643."

Synonyms

• (trouble mentally): fret

Derived terms

• beworry
• worried

Translations

Noun

worry (countable and uncountable, plural worries)

1. A strong feeling of anxiety.

2. An instance or cause of such a feeling.

3. A person who causes worry.

Derived terms

• worrisome
• worryful
• worryless

Translations

Scots

Verb

worry

1. (transitive) To strangle.

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /k??s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /k?s/
• Rhymes: -??(?)s

Etymology 1

From Middle English curse, kors, cors, curs, from Old English cors, curs (“curse”), of unknown origin.

Noun

curse (plural curses)

1. A supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane.
2. A prayer or imprecation that harm may befall someone.
3. The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment.
   • 1602, William Shakespeare, Toilus and Cressida, Act II, sc. 3:

     The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance ...

4. A vulgar epithet.
5. (slang, dated, derogatory, usually with "the") A woman's menses.

Derived terms

• curse of Scotland

Descendants

• Sranan Tongo: kosi

Translations

• This translation table is meant for translations approximating the derogatory or strongly negative nature of this term in English. For standard translations, see the translation table at menstruation.

Etymology 2

From Middle English cursen, corsen, coursen, from Old English corsian, cursian (“to curse”), from the noun (see above).

Verb

curse (third-person singular simple present curses, present participle cursing, simple past and past participle cursed or (archaic) curst)

1. (transitive) To place a curse upon (a person or object).

   • Captain Edward Carlisle […] felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, […] ; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.

2. To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
   • 1611, Bible (King James Version), Exodus xxii. 28

     Thou shalt not […] curse the ruler of thy people.

3. (transitive) To speak or shout a vulgar curse or epithet.
4. (intransitive) To use offensive or morally inappropriate language.
   • 1611, Bible (King James Version), Matthew xxi. 74

     Then began he to curse and to swear.

   Synonym: swear

5. To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment.
   • 1703, Alexander Pope, Thebais

     On impious realms and barbarous kings impose / Thy plagues, and curse 'em with such sons as those.

Antonyms

• bless

Derived terms

Descendants

• Sranan Tongo: kosi

Translations

Anagrams

• Cruse, Cures, Sucre, crues, cruse, cuers, cures, ecrus, sucre

Latin

Participle

curse

1. vocative masculine singular of cursus

Portuguese

Verb

curse

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of cursar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of cursar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of cursar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of cursar

Romanian

Noun

curse f pl

1. plural of curs?

Spanish

Verb

curse

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of cursar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of cursar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of cursar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of cursar.