- to declare (something) to be bad, unfit, invalid, or illegal.
- to condemn as a failure: to damn a play.
- to bring condemnation upon; ruin.
- to doom to eternal punishment or condemn to hell.
- to swear at or curse, using the word “damn”: Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!
- to use the word “damn”; swear.
- (used as an expletive to express anger, annoyance, disgust, etc.)
- the utterance of “damn” in swearing or for emphasis.
- something of negligible value: not worth a damn.
- damn well, Informal. damned(def 7).
- damn with faint praise, to praise so moderately as, in effect, to condemn: The critic damned the opera with faint praise when he termed the production adequate.
- give a damn, Informal. to care; be concerned; consider as important: You shouldn't give a damn about their opinions.Also give a darn.
Origin of damn
SynonymsSee more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
- slang an exclamation of annoyance (often in exclamatory phrases such as damn it! damn you! etc)
- informal an exclamation of surprise or pleasure (esp in the exclamatory phrase damn me!)
- (prenominal) slang deserving damnation; detestable
- slang (intensifier)damn fool; a damn good pianist
- damn all slang absolutely nothing
- to condemn as bad, worthless, etc
- to curse
- to condemn to eternal damnation
- (often passive) to doom to ruin; cause to failthe venture was damned from the start
- (also intr) to prove (someone) guiltydamning evidence
- to swear (at) using the word damn
- as near as damn it British informal as near as possible; very near
- damn with faint praise to praise so unenthusiastically that the effect is condemnation
- slang something of negligible value; jot (esp in the phrase not worth a damn)
- not give a damn informal to be unconcerned; not care
Word Origin and History for give a damn
late 13c., "to condemn," from Old French damner "damn, condemn; convict, blame; injure," derivative of Latin damnare "to adjudge guilty; to doom; to condemn, blame, reject," from noun damnum "damage, hurt, harm; loss, injury; a fine, penalty," possibly from an ancient religious term from PIE *dap- "to apportion in exchange" [see Watkins]. The Latin word evolved a legal meaning of "pronounce judgment upon." Theological sense is first recorded early 14c.; the optative expletive use likely is as old.
Damn and its derivatives generally were avoided in print from 18c. to c.1930s (the famous line in the film version of "Gone with the Wind" was a breakthrough and required much effort by the studio). The noun is recorded from 1610s; to be not worth a damn is from 1817. The adjective is 1775, short for damned; Damn Yankee, characteristic Southern U.S. term for "Northerner," is attested from 1812. Related: Damning.
Idioms and Phrases with give a damn
give a damn
see not give a damn.