bestemmia

swear word

noun beh-STEM-myah Rare

Origin: From Latin blasphemia, from Greek blasphēmía.

Also means

blasphemy

Usage Note

Bestemmia carries a strong cultural charge in Italy: it primarily means taking God's or saints' names in vain, which remains taboo in Catholic culture and was historically a criminal offence. A milder synonym for 'swear word' in general is parolaccia. The plural is regular: bestemmie.

Examples

"Quella bestemmia ha scandalizzato tutti i presenti."

Natural Translation

That swear word shocked everyone present.

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