English · Word Candidate

swear

/ˈswɛə(ɹ)/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: swears · swearing · swore · sware

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

làm lời thề, hứa hẹn mạnh mẽ và trang trọng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

The knight swore not to return to the palace until he had found the treasure.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To take an oath that an assertion is true.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

làm lời thề rằng một khẳng định là đúng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

The witness swore that the person she had seen running out of the bank was a foot shorter than the accused.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A swear word.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

từ lộng ngôn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

You might think it funny to hear this Kanaka girl come out with a big swear. No such thing. There was no swearing in her — no, nor anger; she was beyond anger, and meant the word simple and serious.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

Heavy.

Adjective

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “swear” mean?

To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect.

Is “swear” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.