What’s the past tense of “swear”?
Swearing describes when people use rude or offensive language, usually because they’re angry.
Swear has a second meaning, which is to “promise to do something, and state, in a serious way, that you will do it.” Here, it’s synonymous with words like pledge or assure.
Tenses of the verb “swear”
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I swear | I swore | I will swear |
| Continuous | I am swearing | I was swearing | I will be swearing |
| Perfect | I have sworn | I had sworn | I will have sworn |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been catching | I had been catching | I will have been catching |
When to use “swore” or “sworn”
You swore not to say anything.
She had sworn he looked familiar.
Both swore and sworn are past verb forms of swear (present tense). What distinguishes swore and sworn are the contexts and appropriate tenses that either form should be used in. As you’d guess, the first sentence uses the simple past tense conjugation of swear, i.e., swore. The second sentence combines the past participle ‘sworn‘ with the auxiliary verb had to form the past perfect tense. We would also use sworn with the auxiliary have in the present perfect tense. To better understand when you’d use either tense, we recommend reading this article on the present perfect tense.
Examples of “swear”, “swore”, and “sworn” in sentences
| Verb: Swear | Example sentences |
|---|---|
| Swear (swears/swearing) |
He swears to tell the truth. It's wrong to yell and swear. I swear I'm telling you everything I know. |
| Swore/sworn |
I fell over and swore not realizing the kids were listening. He swore to study harder for the next exam. The witness had sworn under oath to tell the truth. |
Associate ‘swear’ with other irregular verbs that also use 3 forms for the present, past, and as a past participle, like swear, swore, and sworn (wear, wore, worn, etc.)
Synonyms & idioms with swear
| Meaning | Synonyms |
|---|---|
| Swear (as in oath) | oath, promise, guarantee, vow, pledge |
| Swear (as in curse) | curse, cuss, to use vulgar or dirty language |
| Idiom | Meaning & Example |
|---|---|
| Swear by | To believe strongly in something or someone, and have faith in them. Example: “She swears by her grandmother’s home remedies for treating colds.” |
| Swear off | To promise to stop doing something or to avoid something that is considered harmful or negative. Example: “After his health scare, he swore off fast food and started eating healthier.” |
| Swear like a sailor | To use profanity or curse words excessively and loudly. Example: “He was so angry that he was swearing like a sailor.” |
| Swear in | To administer an oath to someone, usually as part of a formal ceremony to confirm their appointment or election to a position. Example: “The Chief Justice swore in the new president at the inauguration ceremony.” |
| Swear up and down | To swear or affirm something with great emphasis or conviction, often in the face of doubt or skepticism. Example: “He swore up and down that he had nothing to do with the missing money, but nobody believed him.” |
Origin of swear
| Form | Origin / Etymology |
|---|---|
| Old English | swerian — “take an oath” |
| Proto-Germanic | swÄ“rjanan* (uncertain origin, perhaps from PIE swer- “to speak, talk, say”) |
| Related forms | Old Church Slavonic svara “quarrel”, Oscan sverrunei “to the speaker” |
Worksheet: Irregular verbs
He ______ that he would never return to that town again.
The official had ______ an oath to uphold the constitution.
She ______ by this brand of coffee and refuses to drink anything else.
I am ______ off watching TV until my final exams are over.
Do you solemnly ______ to tell the whole truth?
FAQs
What’s the simple past tense of swear?
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When do I use “swore”?
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When do I use “sworn”?
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What does “swear” mean?
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Is “swear” a regular verb?
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Sources
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of swear.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/throw. Accessed 7 March, 2023.
Yash, D. "How to Use Swore vs. Sworn (Irregular Verb Conjugations)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/swore-vs-sworn/.
