an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group
"The angry mob cursed the traitor, hoping that lightning would strike him down instantly."
A supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane.
"The ancient village remained cursed by a drought that never ended, turning their once fertile fields into barren dust."
In plain English: A curse is an evil spell that causes bad luck to happen to someone.
"He heard someone curse in pain after dropping their phone on the sidewalk."
Usage: As a noun, a curse refers to the harmful spell itself rather than the act of speaking it. Use this term when describing an ongoing misfortune believed to be caused by magic, distinct from simply complaining about bad luck.
heap obscenities upon
"The taxi driver who felt he didn't get a high enough tip cursed the passenger"
wish harm upon; invoke evil upon
"The bad witch cursed the child"
exclude from a church or a religious community
"The gay priest was excommunicated when he married his partner"
To place a curse upon (a person or object).
"The witch raised her staff to curse the innocent child who had stolen her potion."
In plain English: To curse is to use bad language that you think will bring harm on someone.
"I cursed when I dropped my phone and broke the screen."
The word curse comes from Middle English and Old English, where it originally meant a malediction or invocation of harm. Its ultimate origins remain unknown to linguists.