Accursed means under a curse or deserving to be cursed. When something is accursed, it carries bad luck, evil, or misfortune, as if dark magic has marked it. In fairy tales and fantasy stories, an accursed sword might bring doom to whoever wields it, or an accursed kingdom might suffer endless winter until a spell is broken.

The word also describes something so terrible or annoying that people speak of it with anger or frustration. A character in an old story might shake their fist and shout about “that accursed dragon” who keeps stealing sheep, or mutter about an “accursed lock” that won't open no matter what they try.

You'll mostly encounter accursed in older books, dramatic stories, or when someone wants to sound theatrical. It carries more weight than simply saying “cursed.” Modern writers and speakers rarely use it in everyday conversation, but it appears often enough in classic literature and fantasy tales that it's worth knowing. When you see it, expect something genuinely bad: something unfortunate and marked by fate or supernatural ill will.