# swear off

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/swear-off
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to promise that you will stop doing something or using something that is bad for you.

For teachers: to make a solemn or firm resolution to abstain from a particular substance, habit, or person. Transitive and inseparable.

## Examples

- I have decided to swear off sweets for a month.
- After a terrible headache the next morning, he vowed to swear off alcohol for good.
- Disillusioned by the recent political scandals, many voters have sworn off participating in the upcoming local elections entirely.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I swore off to smoke." but "I swore off smoking." — the verb 'swear off' requires a gerund (-ing) or a noun, not an infinitive with 'to'.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form) representing the habit being abandoned.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'give up'; 'swear off' implies a more formal or dramatic promise to oneself, often following a negative experience.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.