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Only 37% Brits claim they use swear words every single day

Quite a low amount really, let's be f***ing honest.

Emily Sergeant - 30th April 2025

Whether you can believe it or not, a new survey has revealed that only 37% of Brits reckon they swear every day.

Or maybe you can believe it.

Swearing and using inappropriate language definitely used to be considered far more offensive among generations gone by, but here today in the 21st century, it’s fair to say that curse words encompass a large part of the vocabulary used by a wide range of Brits spanning all ages.

For some, swearing is just another way of expressing yourself, but for others, it’s typically not acceptable.

But while it might be a controversial topic, an interesting new YouGov survey has found that swearing is something we nearly all do – with the majority of Brits (57%) saying they swear on most days, and only 8% claiming to never swear at all.

Only a third of Britons have a negative view of swearing, and young people are actually more likely to have a positive than negative view (unlike their elders)

Positive: 17%
Neutral: 48%
Negative: 33%

By age
18-34: +9 net positive
35-49: -8
50-64: -23
65+: -47… pic.twitter.com/RAgpOiedQQ

— YouGov (@YouGov) April 25, 2025

As many may have predicted, men tend to be more regular swearers than women, with 41% saying they swear every day, compared to just 33% of women, and it was also found that younger Brits are more likely to curse on a regular basis too, with 47% of 18-34 year olds swearing every day, compared to only 19% of over 65s.

Even though lots of people perhaps don’t feel that comfortable using inappropriate language, just a third of Brits (33%) say they have an outright negative view of swearing, and nearly half of the public (48%) have what they would consider to be a ‘neutral attitude’ towards it.

When it comes to view points, YouGov found that there is, yet again, a clear generational shift in attitudes, with older Brits being the most likely to have a negative view of swearing (51%), compared to just 21% of 18-34 year olds.

In fact, 18-34 year olds are actually more likely to have a positive view of swearing (30%) rather than a negative one, the survey found.

Which swear words do Britons find the most offensive?

C*nt: 82% say very or fairly offensive
Motherf*cker: 70%
Fatherf*cker: 62%
B*tch: 55%
F*ck: 53%
W*nker: 53%
B*stard: 45%
P*ssy: 44%
Pr*ck: 42%
Tw*t: 40%
A*sehole: 39%
D*ckhead: 39%
Son of b*tch: 36%
C*ck: 34%
T*sser: 31%… pic.twitter.com/jovGbrSxdl

— YouGov (@YouGov) April 25, 2025

Does all of this change given the circumstances though? Do Brits consider it to be generally more acceptable to swear in certain places than others? The survey found that Brits are largely agreed on it being acceptable to swear when you’re in your home by yourself (91%), in response to physical pain (87%), or when you’re with friends in private (86%).

On the flip side, it’s considered unacceptable to swear in a place of worship (91%), while with a customer or client at work (94%), in front of children (95%), or at shopworkers (97%).

There are some instances, though, where the public are more divided, as when it comes to being with your with colleagues at work, nearly half (45%) of survey respondents see swearing as okay, but 53% see it as inappropriate.

Read more:

• Manchester has been crowned the ‘rudest’ city in the UK
• Northerners with strong accents considered ‘less intelligent’, study finds
• A new survey has named Manchester the most ‘judgemental’ city in the UK

The survey also looked into Brits’ particular favourite swear words, claiming that ‘most of us, deep-down’ have one we prefer to use most.

For this, it was the good old ‘f-word’ (f**k) that reigned supreme.

Featured Image – Etienne Girardet (via Unpslash)