curse
curse — 名詞
1. a set of spoken words believed to cause harm or misfortune to another person.
咒語
用特殊詞語使人倒楣
a set of spoken words believed to cause harm or misfortune to another person.
The old folk tale tells of a curse that turned a prince into a frog.
這個民間傳說講述了一道讓王子變成青蛙的咒語。
Some villagers believed a curse had caused their crops to fail that season.
有些村民相信是咒語導致他們的農作物在那個季節歉收。
put a curse on something
In the story, the witch placed a curse on anyone who entered her forest.
故事中，女巫對任何進入她森林的人下了咒語。
The museum displayed a cursed amulet that was said to bring bad luck.
博物館展示了一枚據說會帶來厄運的受詛咒護身符。
- blessing
a prayer for good fortune, the opposite of a curse
常見錯誤
2. something that brings long-term difficulty, suffering, or misfortune into a pers
禍根
造成長期痛苦或不幸的事物
something that brings long-term difficulty, suffering, or misfortune into a person's life, often over many years or across generations.
Poverty has been a curse for many families in the region for generations.
貧窮多年來一直是該地區許多家庭的禍根。
Darius called his gambling habit a curse that had cost him everything he loved.
Darius 說他的賭博惡習是一道毀掉他一切的禍根。
call something a curse
The new factory became a curse when it began poisoning the local water supply.
新工廠開始污染當地水源後，便成了一場災難。
For Nala, her crippling shyness felt like a curse that stopped her from making friends.
對 Nala 來說，她嚴重的害羞就像一道阻礙她交朋友的詛咒。
- affliction
more formal and suggests physical or mental suffering; less common in everyday speech
- scourge
stronger and more dramatic — suggests widespread destruction, not individual trouble
- blight
often used for problems affecting a community or area, such as disease or poverty
用法筆記
Often used metaphorically — the subject does not literally involve magic, but the suffering feels as severe as if it did. Frequently found in the pattern 'a curse of [problem]' (e.g. 'the curse of addiction').
3. an old-fashioned informal term for the monthly flow of blood from the uterus tha
月經
對生理期的舊式俗稱
an old-fashioned informal term for the monthly flow of blood from the uterus that people with a womb experience.
In older generations, some women referred to their monthly period as 'the curse'.
在老一輩中，有些女性把每月經期稱為「那個詛咒」。」
referred to as 'the curse'
Historical letters show women writing about 'the curse' as a regular part of life.
歷史信件顯示當時婦女在書信中將經期視為生活中平常的一部分來討論。
Takeshi's great-aunt still used the old term 'curse' to talk about menstruation.
Takeshi 的姑婆仍然用「curse」這個舊說法來稱呼月經。
The novel describes a time when menstruation was privately called 'the curse'.
這部小說描述了月經在私下被稱為「那個詛咒」的年代。
- period
the standard, neutral modern term
- menstruation
the formal medical term
用法筆記
This sense is dated and may be considered offensive or inappropriate in modern conversation. Younger speakers rarely use 'curse' for menstruation — the standard term today is 'period'.
常見錯誤
4. a socially unacceptable word that someone says in moments of anger, surprise, or
髒話
生氣或驚訝時說的粗俗詞語
a socially unacceptable word that someone says in moments of anger, surprise, or sudden pain.
Andrés let out a curse when he hit his thumb with the hammer.
Andrés 被榔頭敲到拇指時，脫口罵了一句髒話。
let out a curse
The movie was full of curses that parents found unsuitable for young children.
這部電影充滿了髒話，家長認為不適合年幼兒童觀看。
Apinya muttered a curse under her breath after dropping her phone.
Apinya 摔了手機後，低聲咒罵了幾句。
A stream of curses came from the kitchen when Jude burned his hand.
Jude 燙傷手時，廚房裡傳來一連串的髒話。
- swear word
more informal and direct; 'curse' sounds slightly more old-fashioned
- oath
formal or literary; often used in historical contexts ('He let out a mighty oath.')
- profanity
formal and covers all offensive religious or vulgar language
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with verb sense 1 (to swear). When used as a noun, a 'curse' is a single offensive word or short phrase; when cursed, a person produces a stream of them.
常見錯誤
curse — 動詞
1. to say offensive words because you feel angry, frustrated, or are in sudden pain
罵髒話
因憤怒或痛苦而說粗話
to say offensive words because you feel angry, frustrated, or are in sudden pain; to swear.
After stubbing his toe on the doorframe, Élise's father cursed loudly.
Élise 的父親踢到門框腳趾後，大聲罵了幾句髒話。
curse loudly
The taxi driver cursed at the cyclist who had cut in front of him.
計程車司機對擋在他前面的腳踏車騎士罵髒話。
curse at [someone]
Anna cursed under her breath when she realized she had left her keys inside the car.
Anna 發現自己把鑰匙忘在車裡時，低聲罵了一句。
Sari's grandmother never cursed, no matter how upset or frustrated she felt.
Sari 的祖母無論多生氣或沮喪，從來不罵髒話。
文法句型
curse (at someone/something)
用法筆記
In this intransitive sense, 'curse' can be directed at no one in particular (just frustration) or at someone/something using 'curse at'. For directed anger using offensive language, see also 'curse somebody out' (phrasal verb).
常見錯誤
2. to express extreme anger toward someone, including yourself, by saying harsh or
咒罵
因氣憤而對某人說難聽的話
to express extreme anger toward someone, including yourself, by saying harsh or insulting things about them, often because of a mistake or failure.
Zayd cursed himself for leaving his passport at home on the morning of the trip.
Zayd 咒罵自己出發那天早上竟然把護照忘在家裡。
curse oneself for [something]
Passengers cursed the airline for canceling their flight without any warning.
乘客們咒罵航空公司毫無預警就取消了他們的航班。
Padma cursed the slow internet connection as she tried to submit her assignment before the deadline.
Padma 一邊趕著在截止時間前交作業，一邊咒罵網路連線太慢。
The hikers cursed themselves for not bringing enough water on such a hot day.
健行者們責怪自己在這麼熱的天氣裡沒帶足夠的水。
- praise
to express warm approval of someone's actions
文法句型
curse + someone
curse + oneself
curse + someone + for + something
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 1: sense 1 is about uttering swear words (intransitive), while sense 2 is about directing anger at a specific person, thing, or yourself (transitive). The object is the target of blame, not necessarily receiving swear words.
常見錯誤
3. to feel angry and express regret about a situation that has gone badly, often bl
怨嘆
對已發生的倒楣事感到氣憤懊惱
to feel angry and express regret about a situation that has gone badly, often blaming bad luck or fate rather than a specific person.
Tamar cursed her luck when it started raining just after she hung the laundry outside.
Tamar 剛把衣服晾出去就下起雨來，她不禁怨嘆自己運氣不好。
curse one's luck
The fishermen cursed their timing after arriving at the dock and finding the boat already full.
漁夫們抵達碼頭後發現船已經滿了，只能嘆氣怪自己來得不是時候。
Andrés cursed the day he agreed to help his cousin move apartments without a truck.
Andrés 後悔答應在沒卡車的情況下幫表弟搬家。
Nala cursed her bad judgment for investing in a company that went bankrupt within a month.
Nala 埋怨自己判斷錯誤，投資了一家一個月內就倒閉的公司。
文法句型
curse + something
curse + the day / one's luck / one's stars
用法筆記
This sense appears in a fixed set of objects: 'luck', 'fate', 'stars', 'the day', and occasionally 'the moment'. It expresses retrospective regret — the speaker wishes events had turned out differently but cannot change them.
4. to use special words or rituals that are believed to make bad things happen to a
下咒
用咒語希望某人遭遇不幸
to use special words or rituals that are believed to make bad things happen to a particular person or group.
In the legend, the sorcerer cursed the entire village for not offering him shelter.
傳說中，那名巫師因為全村沒有人收留他而對全村下了詛咒。
curse [a group] for [reason]
The old witch cursed the princess to sleep for a hundred years.
老巫婆對公主下了咒，要她沉睡一百年。
curse [someone] to [verb phrase]
Ancient inscriptions warned that the tomb was cursed and would destroy anyone who opened it.
古老的碑文警告說這座墓穴受到詛咒，任何打開它的人都會遭到毀滅。
According to local stories, a ghost cursed anyone who dared to enter the abandoned temple at night.
當地的傳說故事提到，一座鬼魂對任何膽敢在夜裡進入廢棄寺廟的人下了詛咒。
- hex
more specific to folk magic, especially in European and American traditions
- place a curse on
a phrasal alternative that is less direct
- doom
stronger and permanent — to doom someone is to fix their terrible fate
- bless
to ask for divine favour and protection
文法句型
curse + someone
curse + someone + with + something
be cursed
用法筆記
Often used in the passive form ('be cursed') to describe people or places that are believed to be under a spell. The passive can also be used metaphorically to mean 'afflicted with a persistent problem' (e.g. 'Our team has been cursed with bad luck all season.').