Irregular verb
The verb to swear
swear → swore → sworn
B2Meaning: to make a serious promise; to say rude words · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they swear·he/she/it swears - Past Simple:
swore - Past participle:
sworn(different from the Past Simple) - -ing form:
swearing
Conjugation of the verb to swear
Present Simple
| I | swear |
| You | swear |
| He / She / It | swears |
| We | swear |
| You (pl.) | swear |
| They | swear |
Past Simple
| I | swore |
| You | swore |
| He / She / It | swore |
| We | swore |
| You (pl.) | swore |
| They | swore |
All the forms of the verb to swear
Present Simple
Full pageswear / swears
“I swear I didn't do it.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are swearing
“I am swearing to tell the truth right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageswore
“She swore to tell the truth.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were swearing
“I was swearing to tell the truth when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has sworn
“I have already sworn to tell the truth.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad sworn
“She had already sworn to tell the truth when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill swear
“I will swear to tell the truth tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to swear
“I'm going to swear to tell the truth this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould swear
“I would swear to tell the truth if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to swear
1. Promising (making a serious promise)
- I swear I didn't do it.
- He swore to tell the truth.
2. Saying bad words
Here, swear means to use rude words.
- Don't swear in front of children.
- He swore loudly.
3. Phrasal verb: swear in
Swear in means to make someone promise officially to do a new job well. It is often in the passive: be sworn in.
- The president was sworn in yesterday.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Swear: two meanings
Swear has two very different meanings: to promise (a good thing) or to use bad words (a rude thing). I swear I'll help you is a promise. Stop swearing! is about bad words. Always look at the context.
2. Swear word = a rude word
Swear words are rude, bad words. Don't use them at school or at work: people will think you are very impolite.
What's next?
You can conjugate to swear. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of swear?+
The Past Simple of swear is swore. The past participle is sworn. Swear → swore → sworn.
What does swear mean?+
Swear has two main meanings. (1) To make a serious promise: I swear I'll do it. (2) To use rude, bad words: Don't swear! The context tells you which one it is.
What is a swear word?+
A swear word is a rude, bad word that you should not say. Please don't use swear words in class. Other names for them are curse words and four-letter words (because many of them are short).
What does swear in mean?+
Swear in means to make someone promise officially to do their new job well. The president was sworn in means the president made this promise at the start of the job. You hear it in politics and in courts of law.
Is it swore or sweared?+
Always swore. Swear is irregular, like wear → wore → worn and tear → tore → torn. Its Past Simple is swore and its past participle is sworn. Never sweared.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/swear
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.