What’s the past tense of “swear”?
Swearing describes when people use rude or offensive language, usually because they’re angry.
Do you swear to tell the truth?
I swore under oath.
She has sworn to keep the secret.
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 swearing | I had been swearing | I will have been swearing |
When to use “swore” or “sworn”
| Form | Sentence Example |
|---|---|
| Past tense (swore) | They swore at them and ran off. |
| Past perfect (sworn) | We had sworn to fight cruelty wherever we find it. |
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
| Form | Sentence Examples |
|---|---|
| Present (swear) |
It’s wrong to swear and shout. I swear I’ve told you all I know. I swear on all I hold dear that I had nothing to do with this. Behind them was a confusion of noise, perhaps even a shot, but he couldn’t swear to it. He heard her swear under her breath. |
| Past (swore) |
She fell over and swore loudly. She swore she’d never seen him before. He swore he’d study harder next time. |
| Past participle (sworn) |
We have sworn to fight cruelty wherever we find it. She was bursting to announce the news but was sworn to secrecy. The witness was 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 | swērjanan* (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
What is the Simple Past tense form of the verb “swear”?
What verb form is “sworn”?
In which tense are auxiliary verbs like “have” or “had” typically used with the form “sworn”?
Which of the following sentences correctly uses the past tense form “swore”?
Which sentence correctly uses the past participle form “sworn”?
He he would be on time for the meeting.
They have an oath to defend the constitution.
Before leaving the group, she had never to reveal their secrets.
The witness was under oath before giving testimony.
In the sentence “She loudly when she stubbed her toe,” which verb form completes the simple past tense?
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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Learn more about grammar
Yash, D. "Is it Swore or Sworn? What’s the Past Tense of Swear?." Grammarflex, Jul 20, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-difference-between-swore-and-sworn-which-is-the-past-tense-of-swear/.
Sources
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of swear.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/throw. Accessed 7 March, 2023.
