imprecation
/ˌɪm.pɹɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
imprecation means the act of imprecating, or invoking evil upon someone; a prayer that a curse or calamity may befall someone. It carries an Arena rating of 1830, earned across 69 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, imprecation ranks #260 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #1,009 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #1,221 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #1,943 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
imprecation is pronounced /ˌɪm.pɹɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/.
Why “imprecation” is a great word
IMPRECATION — [Noun] The act of invoking evil or a curse upon someone; a spoken curse. Learned borrowing from Latin imprecātiō ("calling down of curses"), from imprecor ("to invoke, call down"), from in- ("upon") and precārī ("to pray, entreat"). First attested in English in the late 15th century. Unlike malediction, a formal denunciation, or execration, a vehement outburst of loathing, imprecation is the deliberate ritual of invocation—the hissed oath in a dusty street, the whispered damnation over spilt salt, the cold syllable that turns a prayer inside out. It is the last, grim liturgy of the powerless, a testament to the stubborn belief that words, properly aimed, can fracture fate.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin imprecātiō (“calling down of curses”), from imprecor (“call down, invoke”).
noun
- The act of imprecating, or invoking evil upon someone; a prayer that a curse or calamity may befall someone.e.g.“Hear then this dreadful imprecation; hear it: / 'Tis lay'd on all; not any one exempt: […]” — 1679, [John] Dryden, [Nathaniel] Lee, Oedipus: A Tragedy. […], London: […] R. Bentley and M. Magnes […], →OCLC, Act I, page 15:
- A curse.e.g.“Mr. Gamfield growled a fierce imprecation on the donkey generally, but more particularly on his eyes; and, running after him, bestowed a blow on his head.” — 1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], chapter III, in Oliver Twist; […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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