damn
/dæm/ (bre, ipa) · [dˈæm] /dæm/ (ame, ipa) · [dˈæm] /ˈdam/ (ame, mw)
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.
The website crashed mid-payment and Ayana just sat there whispering 'damn, damn, damn'.
文法句型
damn! — used alone as a reaction
用法筆記
Considered a mild swear word. Less offensive than stronger profanity, but still inappropriate in formal settings or around children. Avoid in professional writing.
常見錯誤
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.
文法句型
damn + adjective/adverb
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
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.
文法句型
damn + adjective/adverb
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
Christopher said he did not give a damn what the neighbours thought of his new fence.
文法句型
damn all (noun)
not care/give a damn
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
damn — adjective
- damnpositive
- damnercomparative
- damnestsuperlative
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.
Kian tripped over the damn dog bed that his wife kept telling him to move.
- 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
文法句型
damn + noun (thing you are annoyed at)
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
Erik made a damn smart move by investing in renewable energy stocks early.
文法句型
damn + noun (emphasised)
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
The old man waved his stick and yelled, 'You damn kids, keep off my lawn!'
文法句型
you damn + noun (direct address)
用法筆記
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').
常見錯誤
damn — verb
- damnpresent simple I / you / we / they
- damns3rd person singular
- damning-ing form
- damnedpast simple
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.
Lotte's proposal was damned with faint praise — everyone said it was 'interesting' but nobody voted for it.
- praise
to express warm approval or admiration
文法句型
damn + noun (person/thing criticized)
be damned by + noun
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
Ilan could see that the hotel staff did not give a damn whether guests were comfortable or not.
- 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
文法句型
not give a damn (about + noun)
not care a damn
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
Elena stubbed her toe on the doorstep and damned the doorframe loudly enough for the neighbours to hear.
文法句型
damn + person/thing (curse at)
damn it/you
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
文法句型
damn + person to hell
be damned (by God)
用法筆記
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).
常見錯誤
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.
Every other word out of the old sergeant's mouth was a damn or something worse.
- 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
文法句型
a damn
not care/give a damn
用法筆記
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).
常見錯誤
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.
Eve tried every key on the ring, but not a damn one of them opened the lock.
- world
as in 'means the world to me' — the opposite of zero value
文法句型
not worth a damn
not matter a damn
用法筆記
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).