Words and Phrases To Say Instead of Swearing

It doesn’t matter how unique and varied your vocabulary is, at one time or another you’ve dropped a swear word. Be it after stubbing your toe or when your favorite sports team loses, there are many valid reasons for dropping a naughty word. And while the occasional f-bomb is understandable, you don’t want to be known as the person who swears like a sailor. Using profanity or swearing can be offensive in some situations, especially in formal settings or around children and people who are a little more sensitive to expletives, like your partner’s parents. The good news is there are many words and phrases to say instead of swearing like a trooper.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with swearing, it isn’t always necessary in your daily conversation. If you are talking to your work colleagues about what you did on the weekend or sharing a story about children, you probably don’t need every second word to be fuck or shit. But if you truly feel the need to swear, the good news is there are plenty of great substitute words you can use to express your frustration, anger, or surprise without using offensive language. These less provocative words still allow you to still get your point across, just without offending anyone.

Below are some of the most common swear words and great examples of substitute words, along with a list of other words and phrases you can say instead of swearing. Hopefully, you can insert these words into your conversations and save any embarrassing moments where swearing might get you in trouble.

Alternative Expressions To Say Instead of Fuck

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Fuck is up there as one of the most common swear words regularly said by people. It’s believed the word didn’t originate until sometime in the 15th century and was first used by the Germans or the Dutch. Since then it’s become one of the most popular words in the English dictionary, with the Merriam-Webster dictionary defining the word as “to engage in coitus.”

These days the word fuck is heard in movies and TV shows, used in books and magazine articles, and part of everyday conversations. There are several ways it can be used, from talking about sexual intercourse to being used as a cuss word to call somebody out. It may be one of the most widely used curse words in the English language, but not everybody is a fan, which is why we’ve come up with some great alternatives.

Instead of dropping the four letter word, why not say “fudge,” “frick,” or “flipping.” For example, if someone has done something to annoy you, instead of saying “You’re fucking out of line mate,” why not try “You’re flipping out of line mate,” or “You’re fricking out of line mate.” It’s a subtle difference but one that gives your words less of an edge. You can even use the abbreviation “WTF” instead of saying the words “What the fuck.”

Alternative Expressions To Say Instead of Shit

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Shit is another swear word that only came into existence a few hundred years ago around the turn of the 16th century. It appears to have been a taboo word as it was rarely used in publications, with not even the great William Shakespeare using the word in his prose, and he was a man who loved an insult as much as the next person.

Similar to the word fuck, there are many different ways to use the word, but they can all be seen as offensive. When it comes to alternatives, the easiest is crap, which is like a soft version of shit. Then there are other similar sounding words that also work, such as “shivers,” “shoot,” “darn,” “crud,” “damn,” and “dang.”

An example of using one of these words instead of shit would be saying something like “He had a cruddy game” instead of “He had a shit game.” Sure, it might not be as explosive but at least you won’t offend anyone nearby with sensitive ears.

Alternative Expressions To Say Instead of Bitch

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Some of you probably don’t think “bitch” to be a swear word, but considering how its meaning has shifted over the centuries, we think it’s worth a shout. Originally a term that described a female dog, the word was first recorded during the 14th century, although it’s believed to have been used for centuries prior. With links to Hindu and German languages, it wasn’t until the 1500s that the meaning of the word changed, with bitch being used to describe a sexually liberated woman. The meaning changed again in the 1900s when bitch became a word used to describe an annoying woman.

The word went mainstream in the 80s when rappers began using it as a derogatory term for women. There was a slight shift in the late 90s and 00s when the word evolved aging, with people using it as an endearing term, or when Britney Spears used it as a way to announce her return with the phrase “It’s Britney Bitch!” Women have even tried to reclaim the word, although with varying degrees of success. The Vice article “The Evolution of the Bitch” gives a great rundown of the word’s history if you want to find out more.

At the end of the day, bitch is still a misogynistic word that really has no place in the English language, although that doesn’t stop people from using it. When it comes to alternatives, many of the words are just as offensive. Your best bet is just to stop saying bitch, or if you really feel the need, instead of saying something like “Suzy is a real bitch,” try “Suzy is a real savage” or “Suzy is a real rogue.” Another common phrase is “Son of a bitch,” which can be easily changed to “Son of a gun.”Sure, it doesn’t have the immediate impact of the word bitch, but at least it’s user-friendly.

Alternative Expressions To Say Instead of Cunt

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Of all the swear words in the dictionary, cunt is by far the most offensive. A word used to describe a woman’s vagina, the word is vulgar and nasty and not one you probably use on a daily basis. Despite all this, the word cunt has been part of the English language since the 1200s, when it appeared as part of the street name “Gropecunte Lane” in London’s red light district.

While some say it comes from the Latin word cunnus, meaning “sword sheath,” there are those who say cunt is another word that originated from the Germanic and Scandinavian languages. Wherever it comes from, the word is extremely rude but one that people love to say due to its taboo nature. There is really no need to ever use this word, as there are multiple options that can be said. “Vagina” is the most obvious and probably the only other word that doesn’t sound creepy. You can use words like “pussy,” “twat,” “snatch,” or “slit,” but let’s be honest, they all sound rather crude. Your best bet is not to use the word at all, and if you really need to mention a women’s nether region, just call it a vagina like an adult.

Clean Ways to Vent Your Frustration

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Now that we’ve looked at some of the most used swear words and their similar alternatives, here is a wide range of words and phrases you can use for any and all bad words. These are words and phrases you can say around children without fear of them learning a new swear word or drop into conversation when speaking with your religious neighbors and not having to worry about them getting offended.

1. Sugar
2. Jeez
3. Holy smokes
4. William Shatner
5. Cheese and crackers
6. Poo
7. Sea monkey
8. Darnit
9. Six and two is eight
10. Flaming hell
11. Balderdash
12. Loggerhead
13. Feck
14. Shoot
15. Jimmy Crickets
16. Snickerdoodle
17. Dagnabbit
18. Snap
19. Barnacle
20. Merlin’s beard
21. Frag
22. Bubble face
23. Idiot
24. Mac and Cheese
25. Crud
26. Fiddlesticks
27. Son of a gun
28. Dagnabbit
29. Fudge
30. Shucks
31. Gee willikers
32. D’oh
33. Frick
34. Holy cow
35. Judas Priest
36. Bullspit
37. Shiver me timbers
38. Great Scott
39. Son of a motherless goat
40. Jumpin’ Jiminy
41. Flipping hell
42. Sufferin’ succotash
43. Good night
44. Fraggle Rock
45. Shut the front door
46. Egad
47. Tarter sauce
48. Gadzooks
49. Schnikes
50. Honey sticks
51. Barbra Streisand
52. Gee whizz
53. Jerkwad
54. Son of a drunken cow
55. Jeepers
56. Son of a bucket
57. Gosh darn it
58. Drat
59. Wowser
60. Oh, ship
61. Suffering succotash
62. Crikey
63. Fart knocker
64. I don’t give a Donald Duck
65. Blimey
66. Go lick a frog
67. Malarkey
68. Fork me
69. Galloping gremlins
70. Mothersmucker
71. Corn nuts
72. Holy guacamole
73. Ay, caramba
74. Richard
75. Buzz off
76. Poo on a stick
77. Dillweed
78. Bogus
79. Leapin’ lizards
80. Son of a biscuit
81. For Pete’s sake
82. Mother of pearl
83. Shucks
84. Fish paste
85. Golly gee
86. Pluck it
87. For coughs and cold
88. Yuck fou
89. Frozen yogurt
90. Mother flunker
91. I don’t give a flying flop
92. Geez Louise
93. Damnit
94. Son of a nutcracker
95. Freaking dunderhead
96. Jessie James
97. Cow paddy
98. Dingdong
99. Carnage
100. Holy sans
101. Fruit loops
102. Son of an overgrown flower
103. Kiss my caboose
104. Fool
105. Dish licker
106. Fudding hell
107. Maggie May
108. Sugar honey ice tea
109. For the love of money
110. Hells Bells
111. Rubbish
112. What the heck
113. Sugar dumplings
114. Holy smoke
115. Get a grip
116. See you next Tuesday
117. Holy coffee
118. Christopher Columbus
119. Pinhead
120. Mother trucker
121. What the French toast
122. Pickles
123. Good gravy