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cursed

doomed / unlucky / damned / annoying / to hex
AdjectiveTransitive Verb
past: cursedpp: curseding: cursing

The word carries a heavy atmospheric weight, evoking a sense of inevitable tragedy or malevolent intent. When used in a supernatural sense, it suggests a spiritual stain or a destiny that cannot be escaped, creating a mood of dread and helplessness. In modern casual speech, the word shifts from the spiritual to the emotional. It functions as a vent for frustration, turning an inanimate object into a perceived enemy. In this context, it mimics the effect of a swear word without necessarily being profane, signaling a loss of patience.

💬Casual Conversation

🎬Tuesday afternoon, Sarah and Mark are sitting three desks apart in a grey open-plan office.
Mark

this cursed printer is acting up again. i'm totally stumped.

Mark
Sarah
Sarah

just kick it. that's the only way it actually works.

💡
Mark uses 'cursed' as an intensifier to express his frustration with a malfunctioning printer, while using the phrasal verb 'acting up' (malfunctioning) and the idiom 'totally stumped' (completely confused/unable to solve) to emphasize his weaponized incompetence.

Meanings

Adjective

Under the influence of a curse; doomed or destined to misfortune.

"The explorer believed he had entered a cursed temple."

Adjective

Used as an intensifier to express annoyance or anger (often used as a mild swear word).

"Get this cursed machine to work for once!"

Transitive Verb
[~ someone][~ something]

To utter a curse against someone or something, or to call upon a supernatural power to inflict harm.

"The witch cursed the prince to sleep for a hundred years."

Related Words

Last Updated: June 9, 2026Report an Error