ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cur

n.
C2 Proficiency US //ˈkɝ// UK //kˈɜː// cur Archaic Dialect Humorous

n. a person who is very annoying or boring. You use this word in a funny way to describe someone who is a bit of a nuisance.

n. a person who is perceived as annoying, boring, or socially inept. Primarily used in British English and Australian English as a humorous or derogatory term.


SIMPLE

He is such a cur that nobody wants to sit with him.

COMPLEX

While the term is often used in a lighthearted manner among friends, calling someone a cur in a professional setting can be seen as a significant social slight.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English curre (“watchdog, small hunting dog, mongrel, mutt”), perhaps of Middle Low German or North Germanic origin. Compare Middle Dutch corre (“domestic dog, yard dog, watch-dog”), dialectal Dutch korre (“dog, yard dog”), dialectal Swedish kurre (“a dog”). Compare also Old Norse kurra (“to growl; grumble”), Middle Low German kurren, korren (“to growl”). Compare also Middle Dutch querie (“female dog, bitch”).

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