Cuss Is Curse With an American Accent
To cuss is to swear. The word is a nineteenth-century American pronunciation of curse that became its own word.
To cuss is to swear, and a cuss is an awkward person or creature. It began as an American pronunciation of *curse* in the 1800s and hardened into a separate word with its own life: you cuss but you do not curse someone's name, and *cussed*, meaning stubborn, has no equivalent in the parent word. *A queer old cuss* is affectionate rather than hostile, and the same softening happened to *critter* from *creature*.
- To swear. *Stop cussing.*
- An awkward person. *A stubborn old cuss.*
- Cussed — obstinate. *Cussed.*
- Curse — the parent word. *Curse.*
- American — from the 1800s. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | cuss | Cussing. |
| Noun | cuss | A cuss. |
| Adjective | cussed | Cussed. |
| Related | curse | To curse. |
| Compound | cussword | A cussword. |
- He cussed under his breath.Swearing.
- A stubborn old cuss.Person.
- It came from curse.Etymology.
American reshapings
- Cuss — from curse
- Critter — from creature
- Varmint — from vermin
- Sass — from sauce
- Bust — from burst, now a separate verb
American English, a pronunciation variant of *curse*, recorded from the 1800s.
Is cuss the same as curse?
It began as an American pronunciation of curse but has become a separate word with its own uses, such as cussed meaning stubborn.
Is calling someone an old cuss rude?
Usually not. It is generally affectionate, describing someone stubborn or eccentric rather than unpleasant.