damn
damn — exclamation
1. a strong expression of anger, annoyance, or disappointment, often said when some
a strong expression of anger, annoyance, or disappointment, often said when something goes wrong or is frustrating.
Damn! Ilan just locked his keys inside the car again.
standalone exclamation expressing frustration
Elena spilled coffee all over her notes and muttered 'Damn!' under her breath.
When the bus drove past without stopping, Indra shouted 'Damn!' and started running.
exclamation as a direct reaction to an event
The website crashed mid-payment and Ayana just sat there whispering 'damn, damn, damn'.
Grammar Patterns
damn! — used alone as a reaction
Usage Note
Considered a mild swear word. Less offensive than stronger profanity, but still inappropriate in formal settings or around children. Avoid in professional writing.
Common Mistakes
2. used before an adjective or adverb to add strong feeling, often surprise or admi
used before an adjective or adverb to add strong feeling, often surprise or admiration, to what you are saying.
That was a damn good meal — Sumin's cooking keeps getting better.
damn + adjective (good) for strong emphasis
Élise ran the race damn fast and finished almost a minute ahead of everyone else.
damn + adverb (fast) to mean 'extremely'
Theo's team played damn well in the second half and turned the game around.
Andrew knew damn well that the deadline was Friday, but he waited anyway.
fixed phrase: damn well (to emphasize certainty)
- damn good
- damn well
- damn fast
- damn sure
Grammar Patterns
damn + adjective/adverb
Usage Note
Not followed by a noun — when used with nouns, use the adjective form (e.g. 'a damn good movie' is fine because 'good' is the adjective; 'a damn movie' is not). The phrase 'damn well' is a fixed collocation indicating strong certainty or obviousness.
Common Mistakes
damn — adverb
1. used to mean 'very' or 'extremely' when you want to express a strong feeling, es
used to mean 'very' or 'extremely' when you want to express a strong feeling, especially annoyance or admiration.
Liam is damn good at fixing old motorcycles — he can make any engine run again.
damn + adjective (good) meaning 'extremely'
It gets damn cold in Sapporo during January, so bring a thick coat.
Ryo ran the marathon damn quickly for someone who had never trained on hills.
damn + adverb (quickly) for intensity
Talia tried damn hard to finish the puzzle before dinner, but two pieces were missing.
The exam was damn difficult, and most students needed the full three hours.
damn + adjective pattern for negative emphasis
- damn good
- damn hard
- damn cold
- damn quickly
Grammar Patterns
damn + adjective/adverb
Usage Note
Stronger than 'very' but weaker than the most offensive swear-word intensifiers. Commonly used in informal spoken English across all age groups. In writing, 'damn' as an adverb is considered casual; use 'very' or 'extremely' in formal prose.
Common Mistakes
2. used in the phrase 'damn all' to mean 'nothing at all', or in phrases like 'not
used in the phrase 'damn all' to mean 'nothing at all', or in phrases like 'not give a damn' to mean 'not care at all.'
What did the landlord do about the leak? Damn all — he just said he would call someone.
damn all meaning 'nothing at all'
Obi told me he knows damn all about car engines, so I took it to a proper mechanic.
The local council has done damn all to fix the potholes on this road.
damn all as a noun phrase
Christopher said he did not give a damn what the neighbours thought of his new fence.
not give a damn — set phrase for indifference
- damn all
- know damn all
- do damn all
Grammar Patterns
damn all (noun)
not care/give a damn
Usage Note
In British English, 'damn all' is a fixed phrase meaning 'nothing.' In American English, the same idea is often expressed as 'not give a damn' (verb sense 2). The phrase is informal and can sound rude if used in polite conversation.
Common Mistakes
damn — adjective
1. used before a noun to show that you are annoyed or frustrated with the person or
used before a noun to show that you are annoyed or frustrated with the person or thing you are talking about.
I cannot get this damn printer to work — it keeps jamming every five minutes.
damn + noun (printer) expressing annoyance
Sari accidentally deleted the file and had to redo the whole damn report from scratch.
The damn traffic on the highway made Mert over an hour late for his appointment.
damn + noun for external frustration
Kian tripped over the damn dog bed that his wife kept telling him to move.
- damn thing
- damn car
- damn traffic
- damn weather
- blasted
milder than 'damn'; old-fashioned but still in use
- confounded
dated, humorous; much milder
- blessed
ironic usage; sounds old-fashioned and is very mild
Grammar Patterns
damn + noun (thing you are annoyed at)
Usage Note
Always used before a noun (attributive position), not after a linking verb. Unlike many adjectives, 'damn' cannot follow 'be' — you would not say 'the printer is damn.' This sense is strongly tied to the speaker's emotional state, not the object's intrinsic qualities.
Common Mistakes
2. used before a noun to add strong emphasis, often expressing admiration, surprise
used before a noun to add strong emphasis, often expressing admiration, surprise, or determination rather than annoyance.
That was a damn fine performance — the whole audience gave a standing ovation.
damn + fine + noun for admiring emphasis
Devika built a damn good business from nothing in just three years.
It takes a damn brave person to quit a safe job and start a new career at forty.
damn + adjective + noun for admiration/respect
Erik made a damn smart move by investing in renewable energy stocks early.
- damn fine
- damn good
- damn brave
- damn smart
Grammar Patterns
damn + noun (emphasised)
Usage Note
Unlike sense 1 (annoyance), this sense conveys positive or neutral emphasis. The tone depends entirely on the adjective that follows 'damn' — 'damn fine' is admiring, while 'damn stupid' is critical. Common in both British and American informal speech.
Common Mistakes
3. used directly before a noun that names a person to express anger or hostility to
used directly before a noun that names a person to express anger or hostility toward that person.
Get out of my way, you damn fool — you nearly caused a crash!
you + damn + noun in direct address
Yasmin called the driver a damn idiot after he blocked the junction for ten minutes.
Hari shouted something about a damn liar and slammed the phone down.
damn + noun following the pattern 'a/the damn + noun'
The old man waved his stick and yelled, 'You damn kids, keep off my lawn!'
typical pattern: you damn [people category]
- you damn fool
- damn liar
- damn idiot
Grammar Patterns
you damn + noun (direct address)
Usage Note
This use is confrontational and can easily provoke an argument. The pattern 'you damn + noun' is a direct insult. Less confrontational versions use 'a damn + noun' in third-person description ('he is a damn fool').
Common Mistakes
damn — verb
1. to judge something or someone as very bad or worthless, often through public cri
to judge something or someone as very bad or worthless, often through public criticism.
The critics damned the film as boring and poorly acted, and it was pulled from cinemas after two weeks.
damn + noun + as + adjective (public criticism structure)
The report damned the company's safety record, pointing to dozens of violations.
The new housing project was damned by local residents for destroying the park.
passive: be damned by + agent
Lotte's proposal was damned with faint praise — everyone said it was 'interesting' but nobody voted for it.
fixed phrase: damn with faint praise
- damn as
- damn with faint praise
- be damned by
- praise
to express warm approval or admiration
Grammar Patterns
damn + noun (person/thing criticized)
be damned by + noun
Usage Note
This sense carries a formal or journalistic tone and is often found in written reviews, official reports, and legal contexts. It is distinct from the everyday use of 'damn' as a swear word. The phrase 'damn with faint praise' is a fixed literary expression meaning to criticise indirectly by giving weak praise.
Common Mistakes
2. used in the fixed phrase 'not give a damn' to express a complete lack of interes
used in the fixed phrase 'not give a damn' to express a complete lack of interest, concern, or care about something.
Liam does not give a damn what people think of his old beaten-up truck.
not give a damn + what/who clause
The committee can argue all night, but the residents do not give a damn — they just want the park fixed.
Sophia told her boss she did not give a damn about the office gossip and walked out.
not give a damn about + noun
Ilan could see that the hotel staff did not give a damn whether guests were comfortable or not.
- not give a damn
- give a damn about
- who gives a damn
- not care
standard, non-offensive form; weaker in emphasis but same meaning
- could not care less
emphatic but non-swearing; slightly more formal
- not give a hoot
mild, slightly old-fashioned; much less offensive
- care about
the opposite; to be interested or concerned about something
Grammar Patterns
not give a damn (about + noun)
not care a damn
Usage Note
Almost always used in the negative form (not give a damn). The affirmative 'give a damn' is possible but much rarer, usually in questions ('who gives a damn?') or conditional statements. The phrase is a fixed idiom — you cannot replace 'damn' with a synonym and keep the same meaning.
Common Mistakes
3. to say angry or offensive words against someone or something, using the word 'da
to say angry or offensive words against someone or something, using the word 'damn' or other swear words.
Yasmin damned the taxi driver under her breath when he took the long way to the airport.
damn + person (muttered curse)
The old sailor damned the storm and every wave that hit his boat.
When the computer crashed again, Ryo damned the whole system and kicked his chair.
damn + thing (cursing at an object)
Elena stubbed her toe on the doorstep and damned the doorframe loudly enough for the neighbours to hear.
- damn someone
- damn it
- damn you
- damn everything
Grammar Patterns
damn + person/thing (curse at)
damn it/you
Usage Note
This sense covers using 'damn' as a mild curse directed at someone or something. The fixed phrase 'Damn it!' and 'Damn you!' are the most common forms. Stronger than merely saying one is annoyed, but milder than using major profanity. Ranges from a quiet mutter to an angry shout depending on context.
Common Mistakes
4. in some religious beliefs, to send someone to hell to suffer forever as punishme
in some religious beliefs, to send someone to hell to suffer forever as punishment for their sins.
In the old sermon, the preacher warned that God would damn sinners who did not repent.
God + damn + person to hell (religious context)
The catechism taught that those who died without baptism would be damned to eternal fire.
passive: be damned (by God)
Felipe grew up hearing that liars and thieves would be damned for their sins.
The novel begins with a soul wandering between heaven and hell, not yet sure if it is damned.
- damn to hell
- be damned
- damned soul
- God damn
Grammar Patterns
damn + person to hell
be damned (by God)
Usage Note
This is the original religious meaning of 'damn' and is the source of all other senses. In modern everyday English it is far less common than the swear-word uses. It appears mainly in religious texts, historical discussions, and literary works. The past participle 'damned' is also used as an adjective (the damned souls).
Common Mistakes
damn — noun
1. the word 'damn' when spoken or written as a swear word expressing annoyance or a
the word 'damn' when spoken or written as a swear word expressing annoyance or anger.
The movie was so bad that my grandmother actually said a damn — something she never does.
a damn (the word itself spoken as a curse)
Hari could hear angry damns coming from the garage where his dad was fixing the lawnmower.
The teacher told the class she did not want to hear a single damn from anyone.
a damn as a countable unit of swearing
Every other word out of the old sergeant's mouth was a damn or something worse.
- a damn
- not give a damn
- not care a damn
- every damn
- curse
more general term for any swear word or oath
- swear word
neutral, non-offensive description of profanity
- expletive
formal term for a swear word; used in linguistic or journalistic contexts
Grammar Patterns
a damn
not care/give a damn
Usage Note
Used as a countable noun referring to the utterance itself, not the concept. You can count how many 'damns' someone said. The phrase 'not care a damn' (verb sense 2) uses 'damn' as a noun in a fixed expression, but the meaning there is about quantity (i.e., not caring even as much as one swear word's worth).
Common Mistakes
2. the smallest possible amount or degree; something of no value or importance at a
the smallest possible amount or degree; something of no value or importance at all, used in negative expressions.
His opinion is not worth a damn — he never even read the contract.
not worth a damn — valued at nothing
You can argue all you want, but it does not matter a damn — the game is over.
Sumin claims the painting is priceless, but that does not mean a damn at the auction.
not mean a damn — no significance
Eve tried every key on the ring, but not a damn one of them opened the lock.
- not worth a damn
- not matter a damn
- not mean a damn
- world
as in 'means the world to me' — the opposite of zero value
Grammar Patterns
not worth a damn
not matter a damn
Usage Note
This sense appears in a small set of fixed negative expressions: 'not worth a damn,' 'not matter a damn,' 'not mean a damn,' 'not give a damn' (which also appears in verb sense 2). It always conveys complete lack of value or significance. Cannot be used in positive statements ('it is worth a damn' sounds unnatural).
Common Mistakes
Word family
- damnedadjectiveB2
- damningadjectiveC1
- damnationnounC1
- undamnedadjectiveC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/3
All four words describe using offensive language, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Damn' is specific — it refers only to saying the word 'damn' (or wishing someone damned to hell). 'Curse' is broader: you can curse someone by wishing evil upon them, and it can be done without a single swear word (e.g. 'I curse you!' in fairy tales). 'Swear' is the most general and neutral term; it covers any use of profanity and is the default word for describing what someone does when they say bad words. 'Cuss' is informal American English, interchangeable with 'swear' but rarer in writing. For example: a mechanic might swear when a bolt strips, curse the car manufacturer for poor design, damn the specific bolt under his breath, and cuss about the whole situation later over a beer.
Common collocations
Phrases
- not give a damn
- damn all
- damn well
- damn with faint praise
- not worth a damn
- damn it
- damn you
Etymology
The word 'damn' comes from Latin 'damnare', meaning 'to inflict loss upon, to condemn.' In Latin, 'damnum' meant 'loss, damage, injury.' The word entered English through Old French 'damner' in the 13th century, originally with the religious meaning of condemning someone to hell. Over centuries, the force of the word weakened from a literal religious condemnation into a general exclamation of annoyance, and by the 18th century it was commonly used as an intensifier ('damn good'). The modern use as a mild swear word emerged from its frequent appearance in oaths and curses.