The Wild History of Swearing

Let’s be honest—everyone swears. Some of us do it quietly under our breath when we stub a toe, while others pepper their everyday conversations with four-letter words like they’re punctuation marks. Love it or hate it, swearing is part of being human.

But have you ever wondered where all these “bad words” actually came from? Who decided they were bad in the first place? And why do they feel so satisfying to yell when you drop your phone on your face at 2 a.m.?

Grab your favorite swear word (we know you’ve got one) and let’s take a little journey through the colourful history of swearing in language.

What Counts as Swearing Anyway?

Swearing isn’t just about saying “bad words.” Linguists define it as using language that’s considered taboo, offensive, or emotionally intense.

Swear words usually fall into a few categories:

Religion: taking sacred names in vain (think medieval blasphemy).

Sex and the body: yep, the classics.

Insults: targeting people, groups, or even their family tree.

Everyday taboos: bodily functions, gross stuff we don’t normally talk about.

The funny thing is, what’s considered “bad” changes depending on where you are. In English, the F-word might be shocking, but in some cultures, the worst insults are about family or honor.

Ancient Humans Were Swearers Too

Cursing isn’t a modern invention—it’s basically as old as language itself.

Ancient Greece and Rome: People hurled insults about sex, power, and religion. Nothing was off-limits.

Medieval Europe: The biggest no-no? Swearing using God’s name. That wasn’t just offensive—it was considered a sin.

Middle Ages: As societies got stricter, topics like sex and bodily functions got pushed further into the shadows, making them ripe for swearing.

In short: every era has had its “don’t say that!” words.

Swearing Through the Ages

Swearing has always been a mirror of social norms:

Shakespearean England: Believe it or not, Shakespeare loved a good curse. Words like zounds (short for “God’s wounds”) were edgy in his time.

Victorian Era: People were so prim and proper that even saying leg could make someone blush. Imagine a world where trousers felt scandalous!

20th Century: With the rise of TV, music, and film, swearing became mainstream—and censorship battles heated up. Words that shocked your grandparents might barely raise an eyebrow today.

 

Why Does Swearing Feel So Good?

Science has an answer: swearing actually lights up the emotional centers of the brain. Unlike ordinary words, curse words pack a punch.

Swearing can:

Help relieve pain (yes, yelling the F-word when you stub your toe really does help).

Strengthen bonds with people who “get” your humor.

Work as emotional release when nothing else will do.
It’s like your brain’s pressure valve—sometimes you just need to let it out.

Swearing in the Modern World

Fast-forward to today, and swearing is everywhere—from TikTok comments to political rants. But what counts as “the worst” still shifts with time and culture.

In English, sex and bodily functions dominate the swear list.

In other languages, insulting someone’s family, animals, or honor can be way worse.

Online, swear words often double as memes, jokes, and ways to signal personality.

And here’s the kicker: some words that were scandalous a century ago feel tame now. Language is always moving, and new taboo words are already replacing the old ones.

Final Thoughts

The history of swearing shows us that profanity is more than just bad manners—it’s a living, breathing part of language that reflects what societies care about (and what they’d rather not talk about).

From sacred oaths in ancient times to casually dropping the F-bomb in a text message, swearing has always been with us—and it’s not going anywhere.

So next time you let a curse slip, just remember: you’re participating in one of humanity’s oldest linguistic traditions.