verb
1 use bad language
ADVERB
▪ loudly
▪ quietly , silently , softly , under your breath
▪ viciously , violently
VERB + SWEAR
▪ hear sb
▪
He heard her ~ under her breath.
PREPOSITION
▪ at
▪
He swore loudly at her and left.
2 make a serious promise; promise to tell the truth
ADVERB
▪ solemnly
▪
He swore solemnly that he would never hit her again.
▪ on oath , under oath
▪ up and down ( AmE )
▪
He ~s up and down that he trusts me.
VERB + SWEAR
▪ be prepared to
▪
I would be prepared to ~ on oath that they didn't see me.
▪ make sb
▪
He made her ~ on the Bible that she wouldn't leave him.
PREPOSITION
▪ by
▪
I ~ by Almighty God to tell the truth.
▪ on
▪
Do you ~ on your mother's life?
▪ to
▪
I ~ to you, I don't know.
PHRASES
▪ be sworn into office
▪
Lincoln was sworn into office on March 4, 1861.
▪ ~ sb to secrecy , ~ sb to silence
▪
We were all sworn to secrecy about the plan.
Swear is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ allegiance , ↑ loyalty , ↑ oath , ↑ vengeance