cussing
Swearing; using foul or strong language.
Also called cussin'.
Updated September 21, 2026
cussing pronunciation
/KUSS-in/
Meaning
Means letting fly with curse words, whether mild or rough. Mama may fuss about cussing at the table even when the words are only dang and heck. You can also cuss somebody out, which is a full verbal dressing-down.
How folks use it
- “Quit cussing in front of the kids.”
- “He was cussing that stuck bolt the whole way home.”
Origin and etymology
American dialect form of cursing, with the r dropped before s (same pattern as burst/bust and horse/hoss). Verb sense for swearing shows up by the early 1800s. Common across U.S. informal talk and especially at home in Southern and Appalachian speech.
Frequently asked questions
Is cussing worse than swearing?
Same idea. Cussing is just the country word for it. How bad it sounds depends on the words and the room you are in.