darn
/dɑːn/ (bre, ipa) · /dɑːrn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdärn/ (ame, mw)
darn — verb
- darnpresent simple I / you / we / they
- darnshe / she / it
- darnedpast simple
- darning-ing form
1. to mend torn clothing by weaving thread back and forth over the damaged part
to mend torn clothing by weaving thread back and forth over the damaged part
Zuri darned the hole in her sock before the school trip.
darn + hole in clothing
After dinner, Christopher darned his gloves by the kitchen window.
The tailor taught Elena to darn a torn sleeve with blue thread.
Talia sat by the heater and darned the knees of Paul's jeans.
文法句型
darn + hole / sock / sleeve
用法筆記
Used for repairing worn cloth by sewing thread across the weak spot, not for attaching a loose button or making a decorative design.
常見錯誤
2. to say this word as a softer swear when you feel annoyed or suddenly surprised
to say this word as a softer swear when you feel annoyed or suddenly surprised
Dad darned under his breath when the jar slipped.
spoken outburst in narration
Beatrix just darned and stared at the flat bike tire.
When the cake fell, Tariq darned and reached for a clean plate.
Justin darned and shut the picnic basket when rain hit.
文法句型
darn under your breath
用法筆記
Mainly used when reporting that someone let out this mild swear word; the exclamation sense shows the word itself standing alone.
darn — noun
- darnsingular
- darnsplural
1. a repaired area on clothing where thread has been worked over a hole
a repaired area on clothing where thread has been worked over a hole
You can still see the darn on the heel of my winter sock.
the darn on + clothing part
Grandma laughed because the old darn matched none of the new thread.
A pale darn showed where Takeshi had fixed the elbow.
Samir rubbed the rough darn inside his mitten during the bus ride.
- patch
usually means an added piece of cloth rather than the woven repair
用法筆記
This noun names the repaired place itself, not the act of sewing.
2. the slightest amount of value or importance, usually in negative expressions
the slightest amount of value or importance, usually in negative expressions
I don't give a darn about the office gossip.
give a darn about
Paul didn't care a darn which color mug we bought.
The coach said the crowd's booing wasn't worth a darn.
Elena knows the broken clock isn't worth a darn now.
文法句型
not give a darn
not worth a darn
用法筆記
Most often appears with 'not', 'don't', or 'worth', rather than as a normal countable noun.
darn — exclamation
1. said when something goes wrong and you want a softer word than damn
said when something goes wrong and you want a softer word than damn
Darn, I left my lunch on the kitchen table.
sentence-opening exclamation
Darn, the bus doors closed just before Sari reached them.
Darn, we packed everything except the tent poles.
Darn, Christopher spilled soup on the clean shirt again.
文法句型
Darn, ...
用法筆記
Usually stands alone at the start of a sentence when the speaker reacts immediately to a problem.
darn — adjective
- darnpositive
- darnercomparative
- darnestsuperlative
1. put before a noun to add annoyed or impatient emphasis in casual speech
put before a noun to add annoyed or impatient emphasis in casual speech
That darn printer jams whenever Beatrix has a deadline.
darn + noun
We missed the turn because this darn map app froze.
Talia lost her keys in the same darn coat pocket.
The darn dog kept digging under Samir's garden fence.
文法句型
darn + noun
用法筆記
Used only before the noun being complained about, not after 'be'.
常見錯誤
darn — adverb
1. used before another word or phrase to make what you say sound stronger
used before another word or phrase to make what you say sound stronger
The cart rolled darn near into the pond.
darn near
We're darn close to missing the last train tonight.
That shelf sits darn high above the washing machine.
By noon, Justin was darn tired of fixing the leak.
文法句型
darn near
darn close
darn tired
用法筆記
Usually comes before words such as 'near', 'close', or an adjective to add extra force in speech.