Damn

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dæm/
• Rhymes: -æm
• Homophones: dam

Origin

Middle English dampnen, from Old French damner, from Latin damnare ("to condemn, inflict loss upon"), from damnum ("loss").

Full definition of damn

Verb

1. (theology) To condemn to hell.The official position is that anyone who does this will be damned for all eternity.
2. To condemn; to declare guilty; to doom; to adjudge to punishment; to sentence; to censure.
• ShakespeareHe shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him.
3. To put out of favor; to ruin; to label negatively.I’m afraid that if I speak out on this, I’ll be damned as a troublemaker.
4. To condemn as unfit, harmful, of poor quality, unsuccessful, invalid, immoral or illegal.
• Alexander PopeYou are not so arrant a critic as to damn them works of modern poets ... without hearing.
5. (profane) To curse; put a curse upon.That man stole my wallet. Damn him!
6. (archaic) To invoke damnation; to curse.While I inwardly damn. — Goldsmith.

Related terms

Adjective

1. (profane) Generic intensifier.Shut the damn door!

Synonyms

Adverb

1. (profane) awfully, extremelyThat car was going damn fast!

Interjection

1. (profane) Used to express anger, irritation, disappointment, annoyance, contempt, etc. See also dammit.

Derived terms

• dayum slang, emphatic form
• darn

Synonyms

Noun

1. The use of "damn" as a curse.
2. (profane) A small, negligible quantity, being of little value.The new hires aren't worth a damn.
3. (profane) The smallest amount of concern or consideration.I don’t give a damn.