What does imprecating mean?
Imprecate is a formal verb meaning to curse someone or wish harm upon them, or more broadly to condemn someone in the strongest possible terms. It often appears in historical, religious, and literary writing, where it conveys a hostile invocation of misfortune rather than ordinary criticism. The related noun imprecation denotes a curse or an expression of intense condemnation. In modern usage, the word is uncommon and may sound deliberately elevated or archaic, so it is more suited to formal or rhetorical contexts than to everyday speech. It can be used transitively, as in “to imprecate an enemy,” or with against, as in “to imprecate against one’s critics.” Its force comes from combining speech with an implied wish that suffering or misfortune will come to the person being condemned.
verbTo speak ill of someone, especially by calling down curses or wishes of harm upon them. The word is formal and strongly condemnatory.
- To curse or invoke a harmful fate upon someone or something.
- To speak abusively or maliciously against someone.
- To express strong condemnation of someone or something.
"The speaker was accused of imprecating against his political opponents."
"Ancient prayers often called on the gods to imprecate evil upon an enemy."
"Rather than imprecate his critics, he responded with a detailed rebuttal."
Imprecate is the literary equivalent of wishing someone the worst — a formal verbal curse with roots in ancient Latin ritual language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does imprecating come from?
The word comes from Latin imprecari, meaning “to invoke” or “to call down” and, in hostile contexts, “to curse.” It was formed with the prefix in- and the root precari, “to pray” or “to entreat.” English borrowed the word in the early 17th century, when it was associated with curses and abusive denunciation. The same Latin root also underlies related forms such as imprecation and imprecatory, as well as deprecate and precatory.
Related word forms
How imprecating is actually used
Imprecate is formal, literary, and relatively uncommon in everyday speech. It carries a stronger and more deliberately hostile connotation than criticize or condemn, and is often used in historical, religious, or rhetorical contexts.
Easily confused with imprecating
To imprecate is to curse or condemn someone, whereas to implicate is to show that someone is involved in something, usually wrongdoing.
Imprecate expresses a hostile wish of harm, while deprecate usually means to condemn or criticize as objectionable.