outsworn
Definition
- Verb (past participle of ):
- To have sworn more than (someone): To have made more oaths or sworn more vehemently than another person.
- To have overcome or surpassed by swearing: To have defeated or outdone someone through the act of swearing oaths.
Usage Examples
- Past participle (verb form):
- He had outsworn all his rivals in the courtroom, leaving them speechless. (He had sworn more oaths than his opponents.)
- The witness claimed he was outsworn by the defendant, who swore repeatedly to his innocence. (The defendant swore more times than the witness.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be outsworn": to be defeated or surpassed in the act of swearing.
- In the ancient ritual, the challenger was outsworn and thus lost the dispute. (The challenger made fewer or weaker oaths and was defeated.)
Variants and Related Words
Outswear (verb, base form): to swear more than someone else.
- She tried to outswear her opponent, but her voice gave out. (She attempted to make more oaths than her opponent.)
Outswore (verb, past tense): past tense of outswear.
- He outswore everyone in the hall, claiming he was the most honest. (He swore more than everyone else.)
Synonyms
- Outvow: to make more vows than someone.
- Outcurse: to curse more than someone (though not identical, it shares the idea of surpassing in verbal expression).
Related Idioms
- Swear black and blue: to swear with great intensity or repeatedly (related to the idea of outswearing).
- He swore black and blue that he was innocent, but he was still outsworn by the accuser. (He swore very strongly, but the accuser swore even more.)