swear
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++swear /sweə $ swer/ ●●○ S3 verb (past tense swore /swɔː $ swɔːr/, past participle sworn /swɔːn $ swɔːrn/) 1 offensive language 冒犯的语言 [intransitive]SWEAR to use rude and offensive language 诅咒，咒骂，说脏话 Don’t swear in front of the children. 不要在孩子们面前说粗话。swear at He turned round and swore at me. 他转过身来骂我。2 promise 允诺 [transitive]PROMISE to promise that you will do something 起誓保证〔做某事〕swear (that) Victor swore he would get his revenge. 维克托发誓要报仇。swear to do something Mona swore never to return home. 莫娜发誓再也不回家。 Do you swear on your honour (=promise very strongly) that you will never tell anyone? 你能以你的名誉发誓绝不告诉任何人吗？► see thesaurus at promise3 state the truth 陈述事实 [intransitive, transitive] informalSAY/STATE to say very strongly that what you are saying is true 发誓保证；郑重声明〔自己说的是真话〕 I never touched your purse, I swear! 我绝对没有碰过你的钱包，我发誓！swear (that) He says he was there all the time, but I swear I never saw him. 他说他一直在那儿，但我发誓我根本没见到他。swear blind British English (=say very strongly) 一口咬定 She swore blind that she had never seen him before. 她一口咬定以前从未见过他。 I never touched her, I swear to God. 我从未碰过她，我敢向上帝起誓。 I think it was about ten o'clock when we left, but I couldn’t swear to it (=I am not certain). 我想我们离开时大约10点，但我不能肯定。4 somebody could have sworn (that) ... used to say that someone was sure about something but now they think they were wrong 某人明明记得… I could have sworn I had my keys. 我明明记得我带着钥匙。5 public promise 公开承诺 [intransitive, transitive]SCTPROMISE to make a public official promise, especially in a court of law 〔尤指在法庭上〕宣誓，起誓swear on Witnesses have to swear on the Bible. 证人须手按《圣经》宣誓。 Remember that you have sworn an oath and so must tell the truth. 记住你已经宣过誓了，所以必须讲真话。 Presidents must swear allegiance to the US constitution. 总统必须宣誓效忠美国宪法。6. swear somebody to secrecy/silence TELL A SECRETto make someone promise not to tell anyone what you have told them 使某人发誓保守秘密7 swear by something phrasal verb informal EFFECTIVEto have great confidence in how good or effective something is 极其信赖 He swears by vitamin C pills. 他很相信维生素 C 片的效用。8 swear somebody ↔ in phrasal verb PROMISEif someone with a new public job or position is sworn in, they make an official promise to do their duty well 使〔某人〕宣誓就职 The new governor will be sworn in next week. 新州长将于下星期宣誓就职。 The jury have not yet been sworn in. 陪审团还没有宣誓就任。n Grammar Swear in is usually passive. —swearing noun [uncountable] He was cautioned for swearing. 他因说脏话受到警告。 lots of shouting and swearing 许多喊叫声和咒骂声→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
swear• I've never heard her swear.• New citizens are asked to swear allegiance during the citizenship ceremony.• Not surprisingly, disruptive behaviour - shouting, swearing and general rowdiness - was sometimes evident.• He swore angrily when he realized he'd missed the train.• He swore at me to get out.• Officers say the suspect swore at them and threw a punch.• She swears blind that she never met the man.• The plane flew so low that Geoff swears he saw one wing touch the top of a tree.• In return for our consent, he swore he would give it up the day after he won the election.• Yocum garnered 56. 3 percent of the vote Tuesday, and is expected to be sworn into office June 27.• As a repentant sinner I pledge to swear off this hallucinogen.• Major Roland Tuck swore peaceably under his breath.• It was a mistake -- she swears that she didn't mean to do it.• During the ceremony you swear that you will serve the country loyally.• I swore to myself that I'd never do anything like it again.• Do you swear to tell the truth?swear to do something• That means somebody who swears to false testimony in court to get Hearst control of another claim.• Around my area, 50,000 men follow freemasonry and each has sworn to give his utmost allegiance to the Craft. 4.• Those pictures on the wall - all originals, he would swear to it.• After persuading her to dance with him, he swears to marry her.• Theodor swears to me that he can do it in 45 minutes.• Do you swear to tell the whole truth?• Judge Jones had had a form of leukemia for several years when he was sworn to the bench in December 1994.• She swore to Vilma that her father loved her with all his heart.• Death's mercy has held off all too long, but now I swear to you this is ending.swear blind• His informant swore blind that the arms were still there.swear allegiance• All those present swore allegiance to Aenarion.• Some employers tried to make potential participants swear allegiance to heterosexuality before they would pay their conference fee.• Saving only the fealty which he owed to his father he swore allegiance to Philip against all men.• They have sworn allegiance to the Warbutt now.Origin swear Old English swerianswear verb →n GRAMMAR1LDOCE OnlineChinese
to offensive and language use Corpus rude
swear
swear S2 /sweə $ swer/
verb (past tense swore /swɔː $ swɔːr/, past participle sworn /swɔːn $ swɔːrn/)
Don’t swear in front of the children.
swear at
He turned round and swore at me.
2. PROMISE [transitive] to promise that you will do something
swear (that)
Victor swore he would get his revenge.
swear to do something
Mona swore never to return home.
Do you swear on your honour (=promise very strongly) that you will never tell anyone?
3. STATE THE TRUTH [intransitive and transitive] informal to say very strongly that what you are saying is true:
I never touched your purse, I swear!
swear (that)
He says he was there all the time, but I swear I never saw him.
swear blind British English (=say very strongly)
She swore blind that she had never seen him before.
I never touched her, I swear to God.
I think it was about ten o'clock when we left, but I couldn’t swear to it (=I am not certain).
4. somebody could have sworn (that) ... used to say that someone was sure about something but now they think they were wrong:
I could have sworn I had my keys.
5. PUBLIC PROMISE [intransitive and transitive] to make a public official promise, especially in a court of law
swear on
Witnesses have to swear on the Bible.
Remember that you have sworn an oath and so must tell the truth.
Presidents must swear allegiance to the US constitution.
6. swear somebody to secrecy/silence to make someone promise not to tell anyone what you have told them
—swearing noun [uncountable]:
He was cautioned for swearing.
lots of shouting and swearing
▪ promise to tell someone that you will definitely do something, or that something will happen: He promised to give the book back. | The organisers have promised that this year’s event will take place.
▪swear to make a very serious and sincere promise, for example in a law court: He had sworn to tell the truth. | I would never do that, I swear.
▪give somebody your word especially spoken to promise sincerely that you will do something or that something is true – often used when you are trying to persuade someone that they can trust you: I give you my word that your money is safe with me. | I’ll let you go out tonight if you give me your word that you’ll be home by 11.
▪vow to make a very serious promise, often to yourself: She vowed that she would never drink alcohol again. | They vowed to carry on their campaign for justice.
▪assure to promise someone that something will happen or that something is true, in order to try to make them feel less worried: Police have assured the public that they are doing everything they can to find the killer.
▪guarantee to promise that you will make sure that something will definitely happen, so that there is no question of it not happening: I guarantee that you will have the documents by tomorrow. | How can you guarantee that this won’t happen again?
▪pledge to promise publicly or officially that you will do something, for example to give help or money: The government has pledged to increase overseas aid to $4 billion over the next five years.
▪undertake formal to make an official or legal promise to do something: The government undertook to keep price increases to a minimum. | The two sides undertook to respect each other’s territory.
▪commit to something formal to make a firm and definite promise to do something important, which will affect you for a long time and which could result in serious effects if you fail: Bobby felt unready to commit to a romantic relationship. | A group of 11 companies has committed to developing a new passenger plane.
swear by something phrasal verb informal
to have great confidence in how good or effective something is:
He swears by vitamin C pills.
swear somebody ↔ in phrasal verb [usually passive]
if someone with a new public job or position is sworn in, they make an official promise to do their duty well:
The new governor will be sworn in next week.
The jury have not yet been sworn in.
swear S2 /sweə $ swer/
verb (past tense swore /swɔː $ swɔːr/, past participle sworn /swɔːn $ swɔːrn/) Language: Old English
Origin: swerian
1. OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE [intransitive] to use rude and offensive language:Origin: swerian
swear at
2. PROMISE [transitive] to promise that you will do something
swear (that)
swear to do something
3. STATE THE TRUTH [intransitive and transitive] informal to say very strongly that what you are saying is true:
swear (that)
swear blind British English (=say very strongly)
4. somebody could have sworn (that) ... used to say that someone was sure about something but now they think they were wrong:
5. PUBLIC PROMISE [intransitive and transitive] to make a public official promise, especially in a court of law
swear on
6. swear somebody to secrecy/silence to make someone promise not to tell anyone what you have told them
—swearing noun [uncountable]:
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swear by something phrasal verb informal
to have great confidence in how good or effective something is:
swear somebody ↔ in phrasal verb [usually passive]
if someone with a new public job or position is sworn in, they make an official promise to do their duty well:
