Swear

v. i.	1.	To affirm or utter a solemn declaration, with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed; to make a promise, threat, or resolve on oath; also, to affirm solemnly by some sacred object, or one regarded as sacred, as the Bible, the Koran, etc. [imp. Swore formerly Sware ( ); p. p. Sworn ; p. pr. & vb. n. Swearing.] Ye shall swear by my name falsely. - Lev. xix. 12. I swear by all the Roman gods. - Shak.
	2.	(Law) To give evidence on oath; as, to swear to the truth of a statement; he swore against the prisoner.
	3.	To make an appeal to God in an irreverant manner; to use the name of God or sacred things profanely; to call upon God in imprecation; to curse. [I] swore little; diced not above seven times a week. - Shak. To swear by to place great confidence in a person or thing; to trust implicitly as an authority. To swear off to make a solemn vow, or a serious resolution, to abstain from something; as, to swear off smoking. - Miss Edgeworth.
v. t.	1.	To utter or affirm with a solemn appeal to God for the truth of the declaration; to make (a promise, threat, or resolve) under oath. Swear unto me here by God, that thou wilt not deal falsely with me. - Gen. xxi. 23. He swore consent to your succession. - Shak.
	2.	(Law) To put to an oath; to cause to take an oath; to administer an oath to; - ofetn followed by in or into; as, to swear witnesses; to swear a jury; to swear in an officer; he was sworn into office.
	3.	To declare or charge upon oath; as, he swore treason against his friend.
	4.	To appeal to by an oath. Now, by Apollo, king, Thou swear'st thy gods in vain. - Shak. To swear the peace against one to make oath that one is under the actual fear of death or bodily harm from the person, in which case the person must find sureties that he will keep the peace.

Verb	1.	swear - utter obscenities or profanities; "The drunken men were cursing loudly in the street" Synonyms: blaspheme, curse, cuss, imprecate
	2.	swear - to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true; "Before God I swear I am innocent" Synonyms: avow, swan, affirm, assert, aver, verify
	3.	swear - promise solemnly; take an oath
	4.	swear - make a deposition; declare under oath Synonyms: depone, depose
	5.	swear - have confidence or faith in; "We can trust in God"; "Rely on your friends"; "bank on your good education"; "I swear by my grandmother's recipes" Synonyms: rely, trust, bank

TO SWEAR. To take an oath, judicially administered. Vide Affirmation; Oath.
     2. To swear also signifies to use such profane language as is forbidden by law. This is generally punished by statutory provisions in the several states.

abjure, abuse, acknowledge, adjure, administer an oath, agree, allege, and candle, assert, assert under oath, asseverate, assure, attest, aver, avoid, avouch, avow, bear witness, believe in, blaspheme, book, certify, confess, count on, countersign, covenant, curse and swear, cuss, depone, depose, disclose, dysphemize, eschew, execrate, expletive, express the belief, forgo, forsake, forswear, give evidence, give up, go off, guarantee, have confidence in, imprecate, insist, kiss the book, make a promise, oath, pledge, plight, profess, promise, put under oath, put upon oath, rely on, renounce, scatologize, shun, swear by, swear by bell, swear in, swear off, swear the truth, swear to, swear to God, swear to goodness, talk dirty, testify, throw over, troth, trust in, undertake, underwrite, use language, vilify, vouch, vow, warrant, witness

Definitions Index: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

About this site and copyright information - Online Dictionary Home - Privacy Policy