swear
[swɛə]
[swɛɚ]
An oath is a promise or statement that's sworn to be true.
When people swear, it usually means they're making a strong promise, often with their hand on something sacred like the Bible. This can happen in formal situations, like taking the witness stand in court, but it also happens informally when friends make promises to each other. You might swear to your friend that you'll be there for them at midnight or that you won't spill a secret. In some cases, people use stronger language and actually "swear on their honor" - this is often seen as a way of showing how serious they are about keeping their promise.
How common is "swear"?
Word swear is considered uncommon in modern English.
It appears most frequently in fiction texts and less often in other writings.
It appears most frequently in fiction texts and less often in other writings.
Definitions
verb
To take an oath, to promise.
Real examples of "swear" in context
