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swear

[/swɛr/]
verb
jurar
1. to make a solemn promise or declaration, typically invoking a divine being or sacred object as a witness
I swear on my life that I'm telling the truth.
Juro pela minha vida que estou dizendo a verdade.
2. to use profane or obscene language; to curse
He swore when he hit his finger with the hammer.
Ele xingou quando bateu o dedo com o martelo.
3. to declare or assert something with conviction
I could swear I saw him yesterday.
Posso jurar que o vi ontem.
4. to take an oath in a court of law
The witness had to swear before testifying.
A testemunha teve que jurar antes de testemunhar.
NYC Slang
fuhgeddaboudit (when asserting something confidently, though not direct equivalent)
Synonyms
vowpromisecurseprofaneaffirmtestify
Antonyms
denydisavow

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
jurar; xingar
Both meanings equally used
São Paulo
jurar; xingar
Standard usage, common in formal and informal contexts
Rio de Janeiro
jurar; xingar
Standard usage with regional colloquialisms
Portugal
jurar; praguejar
Praguejar more common for cursing; jurar for oath-taking

Related Idioms & Phrases

swear by something - confiar plenamente em algo
swear like a sailor - xingar copiosamente
swear off - renunciar a; abandonar
swear in - dar posse a; fazer juramento
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