darned
darned — adjective
- darnedpositive
- darnedercomparative
- darnedestsuperlative
1. used in everyday speech as a less offensive way of saying 'damned,' to show that
used in everyday speech as a less offensive way of saying 'damned,' to show that you feel annoyed, angry, or to make a statement stronger — for example, calling a jammed printer a 'darned machine' or saying a driver did a 'darned good job.'
Adina tried to fix the darned computer but it kept crashing.
adjective + noun pattern for expressing annoyance
The darned cat keeps scratching Reuben's new leather chair.
Where has that darned wallet gone? Lotte looked everywhere for it.
Ishaan did a darned good job building the bookshelf for the living room.
Hui cannot find a single darned thing in this messy office.
- damned
stronger and more offensive; 'darned' is the polite substitute
- blasted
similar mild expletive, slightly old-fashioned in tone
- blessed
ironic use, same level of mildness, but can sound humorous
- confounded
dated mild expletive, rare in modern speech
文法句型
darned + noun
darned + adjective (adverbial use)
用法筆記
This sense can also function as an adverb before an adjective to add emphasis, as in 'a darned good idea.' It is considered mild — acceptable in casual conversation but not in formal writing or polite company where stronger swearing would be inappropriate.
常見錯誤
darned — verb
- darnedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- darneds3rd person singular
- darneding-ing form
- darnededpast simple
1. past participle of 'darn' — when you close a torn part of a shirt, sock, or othe
past participle of 'darn' — when you close a torn part of a shirt, sock, or other garment by weaving thread back and forth across the opening with a needle, usually choosing a colour that blends in so the fix is hard to see.
Charlotte darned the hole in her wool sweater with matching thread.
transitive use: darn + object (hole in garment)
Grandma carefully darned the torn knee of Tunde's trousers.
The old socks had been darned so many times they barely held together.
Defne learned how to darn from her aunt when she was twelve.
You can hardly see where Leo darned the fabric because the stitches are so neat.
- tear
to create a hole, the opposite of repairing one
文法句型
darn + hole/garment
be darned (passive)
darn (intransitive, without object)
用法筆記
This sense is the past participle and past tense of the base verb 'darn' (to mend). In modern everyday use it is less common than 'mend' or 'patch,' but it remains the specific term for the criss‑cross stitching technique used on knitwear and woollen fabrics.
常見錯誤
darned — noun
1. a hole or worn area in a piece of fabric that has been repaired with interlacing
a hole or worn area in a piece of fabric that has been repaired with interlacing stitches, often visible as a slightly raised or textured patch on the material.
The elbows of Joshua's jacket have neat darns that match the original wool.
used with descriptive adjective (neat)
Adina ran her fingers over the darn and could feel the raised threads.
A careful darn can make a torn shirt look almost like new.
Lotte's grandmother showed her how to make the darn less noticeable by using matching thread.
- patch
a piece of cloth sewn over a hole, different from a darn which uses only thread
文法句型
adjective + darn
visible/neat/tiny + darn
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'patch' — a darn is made entirely from thread criss‑crossing the gap, while a patch uses a separate piece of cloth sewn over the hole.
2. a mild expletive used in phrases like 'not give a darn' to mean that you do not
a mild expletive used in phrases like 'not give a darn' to mean that you do not care at all about something; a polite substitute for 'damn' as a noun.
Lakan does not give a darn what people think of his cooking.
fixed phrase: not give a darn
I do not care a darn whether we win or lose — it is just a game.
Ignacio told me I could say whatever I wanted, but he did not give a darn.
The boss did not give a single darn about our long hours last month.
文法句型
not give a darn
not care a darn
用法筆記
Almost always appears in negative constructions ('not give a darn,' 'not care a darn'). Using it without the negative is very rare and sounds unnatural. The noun cannot be pluralised in this sense.