curve

[kurv] / kɜrv /

NOUN

arched, rounded line or object

Synonyms

STRONGEST

arc arch contour loop trajectory

STRONG

ambit bend bight bow camber catenary chord circle circuit circumference compass concavity crook curlicue curvature ellipse festoon flexure hairpin half-moon helix horseshoe hyperbola incurvation incurvature meniscus ogee parabola quirk round sinuosity sweep swerve turn vault whorl

WEAK

curvation rondure

Antonyms

WEAK

line

VERB

bending in a shape or course

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bend buckle bulge coil crumple curl loop skew spiral swerve twist veer

STRONG

arc arch bow crook deviate divert gyrate hook inflect round snake stoop turn wind wreathe

WEAK

concave convex incurve

Antonyms

STRONGEST

straighten

STRONG

stay

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Yet Chen said Friday that the Federal Reserve is already behind the curve on hiking interest rates.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

As gravitational waves slowly shrink the orbit, they subtly alter the shape and motion of the caustic curve.

From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026

It’s not unusual for first-time home-buyers to face a learning curve in home maintenance, says Todd Luong, a real estate agent with Re/Max DFW Associates.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Some smile, and some pensively stare over the curve of the David Geffen Galleries.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

Manipulating an infinite sum—whether it is in the Achilles problem or in finding the area underneath a curve or finding an alternate form for a mathematical function—caused mathematicians to come up with contradictory results.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

curve

Example Sentences

Related Words