four-letter word
The term "four-letter word" often refers to profanity or vulgarity, originating from the fact that many common swear words in English have four letters.
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Definition
B2General
(informal, euphemism)A word considered offensive or vulgar, often used as a profanity.
Example
- He muttered a four-letter word under his breath when he hit his thumb with the hammer.
C1Humorous
(informal, figurative)A common word used humorously to imply that it is unpleasant or frustrating.
Example
- To him, 'work' is a four-letter word.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "four-letter word":
dirty wordgood wordbig wordin a wordthree-letter agencydouble lettersmall words