DAMN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does damn mean? 

• DAMN (noun)
  The noun DAMN has 1 sense:

1. something of little value

  Familiarity information: DAMN used as a noun is very rare.

• DAMN (adjective)
  The adjective DAMN has 2 senses:

1. used as expletives

2. expletives used informally as intensifiers

  Familiarity information: DAMN used as an adjective is rare.

• DAMN (verb)
  The verb DAMN has 1 sense:

1. wish harm upon; invoke evil upon

  Familiarity information: DAMN used as a verb is very rare.

• DAMN (adverb)
  The adverb DAMN has 1 sense:

1. extremely

  Familiarity information: DAMN used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DAMN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something of little value

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

damn; darn; hoot; red cent; shit; shucks; tinker's dam; tinker's damn

Context example:

not worth shucks

Hypernyms ("damn" is a kind of...):

ineptitude; worthlessness (having no qualities that would render it valuable or useful)

• DAMN (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Used as expletives

Synonyms:

damn; goddamn

Context example:

oh, damn (or goddamn)!

Similar:

cursed; curst (deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Expletives used informally as intensifiers

Synonyms:

blame; blamed; blasted; blessed; damn; damned; darned; deuced; goddam; goddamn; goddamned; infernal

Context example:

an infernal nuisance

Similar:

cursed; curst (deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier)

• DAMN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they damn    ... he / she / it damns   
Past simple: damned   
Past participle: damned   
-ing form: damning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Wish harm upon; invoke evil upon

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

anathemise; anathemize; bedamn; beshrew; curse; damn; imprecate; maledict

Context example:

The bad witch cursed the child

Hypernyms (to "damn" is one way to...):

arouse; bring up; call down; call forth; conjure; conjure up; evoke; invoke; put forward; raise; stir (summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

damnation (the act of damning)

damnation (the state of being condemned to eternal punishment in Hell)

damnatory (threatening with damnation)

• DAMN (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Extremely

Synonyms:

all-fired; all-firedly; bloody; damn

Context example:

Why are you so all-fired aggressive?

Domain usage:

intensifier; intensive (a modifier that has little meaning except to intensify the meaning it modifies)

 Context examples 

“Then how do you account for that?” cried Hopkins, as he held up the damning notebook, with the initials of our prisoner on the first leaf and the blood-stain on the cover.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

‘So, you’re one of those damned touts!’ cried the lad. ‘I’ll show you how we serve them in King’s Pyland.’

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Smell them, damn you, smell them.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Coming on the top of such a damning series of events, it was at least a most suspicious remark.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It’s those damn headaches, I believe.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

A moment later he said, "An' it's glad I am that it's over with. That damn bunk would iv been the death iv me, I know."

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

It wasn’t like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Colonel of a damned dragoon regiment under the orders of my own younger brother.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"The stick's as clean as a whistle. They've ate the leather offen both ends. They're damn hungry, Henry, an' they'll have you an' me guessin' before this trip's over."

(White Fang, by Jack London)

“Mas'r Davy,” exclaimed Ham, in a broken voice, “it ain't no fault of yourn—and I am far from laying of it to you—but his name is Steerforth, and he's a damned villain!”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)