What does accursed mean?
"Accursed" is an adjective describing someone or something that lies under a curse — fated to suffer misfortune through supernatural condemnation. It also carries a figurative, mildly archaic sense meaning deeply detestable or hateful, in which speakers use it to vent frustration at tiresome things, as in "that accursed noise." The word belongs mainly to literary, religious, and gothic register: it colors folk tales, fantasy fiction, and scripture-inflected prose far more often than everyday conversation, where simpler words like "cursed" prevail. Etymologically it combines the intensive prefix "ac-" with "curse," a word of uncertain origin that some scholars connect to Late Latin forms tied to "currere," meaning to run — perhaps evoking a curse running its course over a victim. Related Latinate descendants include "current," "course," and "excursion." Its pronounced second syllable sets it apart from the verb "cursed," and its archaic variant "accurst" survives only in older poetry.
Under a curse; doomed to misfortune or evil by supernatural power.
"The sailors refused to approach what they called the accursed island."
Detestable; utterly hateful — used figuratively as an expression of strong annoyance.
"She could no longer tolerate that accursed machine and sold it."
This figurative sense is informal-to-literary and now somewhat dated or regional.
"Accursed" may trace back to the Latin verb for "to run" — ancient curses were thought to "run" through their victims like a contagion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accursed
"Accursed" was formed in Middle English from the prefix "ac-" (an altered form of the intensive prefix "of-/a-") plus "curse," a word attested in Old English whose ultimate origin is disputed; one long-standing theory derives it from Late Latin "currere" (to run), via the notion of a curse running its course, which would make it a distant relative of "current," "course," and "excursion." The word has carried both its literal sense of being under a curse and its extended sense of "detestable" since Middle English times.
Related word forms
How accursed is actually used
"Accursed" belongs chiefly to formal, literary, or archaic register. It appears most naturally in fiction, folklore, and religious or gothic contexts; in ordinary modern speech speakers usually prefer "cursed," " blasted," or stronger expletives. The pronunciation with a full second syllable (/əˈkɜːrsɪd/) distinguishes the adjective from the verb "cursed" (/kɜːrst/).
Easily confused with accursed
"Cursed" is the plain everyday word for being under a curse (and is a one-syllable adjective when it means ill-fated), while "accursed" is a more literary, emphatic form carrying an added sense of detestability.