FromMiddle Englishacursed, fromacursen(“to curse”), fromOld Englishācursian, fromā- +cursen, fromcurs(“curse”). First attested in the 13th century.
accursed (comparativemoreaccursed,superlativemostaccursed)
- (prenominal)Hateful;detestable,loathsome.
- Synonyms:execrable,damnable
c.1789,William Blake,Tiriel:Accursed race of Tiriel. behold your father // Come forth & look on her that bore you. come youaccursed sons.
1819,Ivanhoe,Walter Scott,Chapter 35:Lo! they are charged with studying theaccursed cabalistical secrets of the Jews, and the magic of the Paynim Saracens.
1885,Richard F. Burton,The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 532:[…]Alaeddin ate and drank and was cheered and after he had rested and had recovered spirits he cried, "Ah, O my mother, I have a sore grievance against thee for leaving me to thataccursed wight who strave to compass my destruction and designed to take my life. Know that I beheld Death with mine own eyes at the hand of this damned wretch, whom thou didst certify to be my uncle;[…]
- (theology)Doomed to destruction ormisery;cursed;anathematized.
- Synonyms:condemned,fey,ill-fated;see alsoThesaurus:doomed
c.1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe],Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published1592,→OCLC; reprinted asTamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press,1973,→ISBN,Act II, scene iv:Accurſt be he that firſt inuented war
1885, Charles Abel Heurtley, transl.,The Commonitory ofVincent of Lérins,Chapter 8:[…]—if any one, be he who he may, attempt to alter the faith once for all delivered, let him beaccursed.
1912,Fyodor Dostoevsky, chapter 7, inConstance Garnett, transl.,The Brothers Karamazov, Book III, translation of original in Russian:For at the very moment I becomeaccursed, at that same highest moment, I become exactly like a heathen[…]
accursed
- simplepast andpastparticiple ofaccurse
