damn

English

Etymology

From Middle English dampnen, from Old French damner, from Latin damnāre (“to condemn, inflict loss upon”), from damnum (“loss”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dæm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æm
• Homophone: dam

Verb

damn (third-person singular simple present damns, present participle damning, simple past and past participle damned)

1. (theology, transitive, intransitive) To condemn to hell.

   The official position is that anyone who does this will be damned for all eternity.

   Only God can damn.

   I damn you eternally, fiend!

2. To condemn; to declare guilty; to doom; to adjudge to punishment.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene i]:

     He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him.

3. To put out of favor; to ruin; to label negatively.

   I’m afraid that if I speak out on this, I’ll be damned as a troublemaker.

4. To condemn as unfit, harmful, invalid, immoral or illegal.
   • November 8, 1708, Alexander Pope, letter to Henry Cromwell

     You are not so arrant a critic as to damn them [the works of modern poets] […] without hearing.

5. (profane) To curse; put a curse upon.

   That man stole my wallet. Damn him!

6. (archaic) To invoke damnation; to curse.
   • c. 1767-1774, Oliver Goldsmith, letter to Mrs. Bunbury

     […] while I inwardly damn.

Conjugation

Conjugation of damn

infinitive	(to) damn
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	damn	damned
2nd-person singular	damn, damnest*	damned, damnedst*
3rd-person singular	damns, damneth*	damned
plural	damn
subjunctive	damn
imperative	damn	—
participles	damning	damned

^*Archaic or obsolete.

Related terms

• damage
• damnation
• damned
• damnable
• dammit
• give a damn
• tinker's damn

• goddammit
• God damn, goddamn
• goddamned
• damn skippy
• damn straight

• damn by association
• damn with faint praise
• damn the torpedoes
• damn your eyes
• damn your hide

Translations

theology: to condemn to hell

• Arabic: لَعَنَ‎ (ar) (laʿana)
• Armenian: անիծել (hy) (anicel)
• Azerbaijani: lənətləmək
• Belarusian: пракліна́ць impf (praklinácʹ), пракля́сці pf (prakljásci), кля́сці impf (kljásci)
• Bulgarian: прокли́нам (bg) impf (proklínam), прокълна́ pf (prokǎlná), кълна́ (bg) impf (kǎlná)
• Catalan: maleir (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 咒 (zh) (zhòu), 詛咒 (zh), 诅咒 (zh) (zǔzhòu)

• Czech: zatratit pf, proklínat (cs) impf, proklít (cs) pf
• Danish: fordømme, forbande (da)
• Dutch: verdoemen (nl)
• Esperanto: damni
• Finnish: tuomita (kadotukseen)
• French: condamner (fr), damner (fr)
• German: verdammen (de), verfluchen (de)
• Hindi: अभिशाप देना (abhiśāp denā)
• Hungarian: pokolra ítél, kárhozatra ítél, kárhozatba küld
• Icelandic: fordæma
• Ido: damnar (io)
• Italian: dannare (it)
• Japanese: 地獄に落とす (じごくにおとす, jigoku ni otosu), 呪う (ja) (のろう, norou)
• Korean: 저주하다 (jeojuhada)
• Lithuanian: prakeikti

• Macedonian: проколнува impf (prokolnuva), проколне pf (prokolne)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: fordømme (no), forbanne (no)

  Nynorsk: forbanne

• Persian: لعنت کردن‎ (la'nat kardan), نفرین کردن‎ (fa) (nefrin kardan)
• Polish: przeklinać (pl) impf, przekląć (pl) pf
• Portuguese: amaldiçoar (pt), danar (pt), condenar (pt)
• Russian: проклина́ть (ru) impf (proklinátʹ), прокля́сть (ru) pf (prokljástʹ), клясть (ru) impf (kljastʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: про̀кле̄ти pf, у̀кле̄ти pf, кле̑тӣ impf

  Roman: pròklēti (sh) pf, ùklēti (sh) pf, klȇtī (sh) impf

• Slovak: preklínať impf, prekliať pf
• Slovene: preklinjati (sl) impf
• Spanish: maldecir (es), condenar (es)
• Swedish: förbanna (sv), fördöma (sv)
• Tajik: лаънат кардан (laʾnat kardan), нафрин кардан (nafrin kardan)
• Thai: สาป (th) (sàap), แช่ง (th) (chɛ̂ng)
• Turkish: lanetlemek (tr)
• Ukrainian: проклина́ти impf (proklynáty), прокля́сти pf (prokljásty), кля́сти impf (kljásty)
• Urdu: لعنت بھیجنا‎ (la'nat bhejnā)
• Uzbek: laʼnatlamoq (uz)
• Vietnamese: nguyền rủa (vi), chửi rủa (vi)

to put out of favor; to ruin; to label negatively

• Bulgarian: осъ́ждам (bg) impf (osǎ́ždam), порица́вам (bg) impf (poricávam)
• Finnish: tuomita (fi)
• German: ächten (de), verschreien (de)

• Hungarian: bélyegez (hu), megbélyegez (hu)
• Italian: bollare (it)
• Russian: осужда́ть (ru) impf (osuždátʹ), осуди́ть (ru) pf (osudítʹ), порица́ть (ru) impf (poricátʹ)

to condemn as unfit, harmful, invalid, immoral, or illegal

• Esperanto: damni
• Finnish: tuomita (fi)
• French: damner (fr), réprouver (fr)
• German: verteufeln (de)

• Hungarian: elítél (hu), kárhoztat
• Italian: condannare (it)
• Spanish: condenar (es), reprobar (es)

to put a curse upon

• Arabic: لَعَنَ‎ (ar) (laʿana)
• Bulgarian: прокли́нам (bg) impf (proklínam), прокълна́ pf (prokǎlná), кълна́ (bg) impf (kǎlná)
• Catalan: maleir (ca)
• Estonian: needma
• Finnish: kirota (fi)
• German: verfluchen (de), verwünschen (de)
• Hungarian: átkoz (hu), elátkoz (hu), megátkoz (hu)

• Italian: maledire (it)
• Portuguese: amaldiçoar (pt)
• Russian: проклина́ть (ru) impf (proklinátʹ), прокля́сть (ru) pf (prokljástʹ), клясть (ru) impf (kljastʹ)
• Spanish: maldecir (es)
• Swedish: förbanna (sv)
• Turkish: lanetlemek (tr)

Adjective

damn (not comparable)

1. (mildly vulgar) Generic intensifier. Fucking; bloody.

   Shut the damn door!

   • 2005, Sonic Team; Sega Studios USA, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sega, PS2, GameCube, Xbox:

     Where's that damn FOURTH Chaos Emerald!

Synonyms

• see also Thesaurus:damned

Translations

generic intensifier

• Belarusian: пракля́ты (prakljáty)
• Bulgarian: проклет (bg) (proklet)
• Catalan: maleït (ca)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 死 (yue) (sei²), 鬼 (gwai²)

  Mandarin: 該死的 (zh), 该死的 (zh) (gāisǐ de)

• Czech: zatracený, proklatý
• Dutch: verdomd (nl), vervloekt (nl), verdraaid (nl)
• Finnish: kirottu (fi), samperin, saamarin, pahuksen
• French: foutu (fr)
• German: verdammt (de), verflucht (de), verflixt (de)
• Hungarian: átkozott (hu), nyavalyás (hu), rohadt (hu)
• Indonesian: berengsek (id), sialan (id), bedebah (id), keparat (id)
• Italian: maledetto (it) m, fottuto (it) m, cazzo (it) m
• Japanese: 糞 (ja) (くそ, kuso)

• Korean: 망할 (manghal)
• Lithuanian: prakeiktas m, prakeikta f
• Macedonian: проклет (proklet)
• Polish: cholerny (pl), przeklęty (pl)
• Portuguese: maldito (pt), merda de, porra de (pt)
• Russian: прокля́тый (ru) (prokljátyj), про́клятый (ru) (prókljatyj), чёртов (ru) (čórtov), черто́вский (ru) (čertóvskij)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: проклет

  Roman: proklet (sh)

• Slovak: prekliaty
• Slovene: preklet (sl)
• Spanish: maldito (es), puto (es)
• Swedish: förbannad (sv), sabla (sv), djävla (sv), fördömd (sv)
• Turkish: kahrolasıca
• Ukrainian: про́клятий (prókljatyj)

Adverb

damn (not comparable)

1. (mildly vulgar) Very; extremely.

   That car was going damn fast!

Translations

awfully, extremely

• Bulgarian: ужасно (bg) (užasno)
• Catalan: malaïdament
• Danish: pokkers, hulens, forbandet
• Dutch: verschrikkelijk (nl), vreselijk (nl), verdomd (nl), verdraaid (nl)
• Finnish: pahuksen, samperin, saamarin, jumalattoman
• German: schrecklich (de), verdammt (de), verflucht (de)
• Hungarian: átkozottul (hu), rohadtul, piszkosul
• Italian: maledettamente (it), dannatamente (it), fottutamente

• Japanese: 糞 (ja) (くそ, kuso)
• Macedonian: проклето (prokleto)
• Polish: cholernie (pl)
• Portuguese: pra caralho (pt)
• Russian: черто́вски (ru) (čertóvski)
• Spanish: malditamente (es)
• Swedish: förbannat (sv), djävligt (sv)

Interjection

damn

1. (mildly vulgar) Used to express anger, irritation, disappointment, annoyance, contempt or surprise, etc. See also dammit.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:dammit

Derived terms

• damn my eyes
• dang (euphemistic)
• darn (euphemistic)
• dayum (slang, emphatic form)
• dizamn (slang, emphatic form)

Translations

non-vulgar expression of contempt etc.

• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Catalan: cagondena, ostres (ca), hòstia (ca), collons (ca)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 死 (yue) (sei²), 弊 (bai⁶), 頂, 顶 (ding²)

  Mandarin: 糟糕 (zh) (zāogāo), 該死 (zh), 该死 (zh) (gāisǐ), 你妹 (nǐmèi)

• Danish: pokkers, sørens, hulens
• Esperanto: damne (eo)
• Finnish: pahus (fi), hitto (fi), samperi (fi), saamari (fi)
• French: mince (fr), zut (fr)
• Galician: mal raxo (dated), maldita sexa, arre demo
• Georgian: ჯანდაბა (ǯandaba)
• German: verdammt (de), Mist (de)
• Hungarian: a fenébe (hu), a francba, a fene egye meg
• Indonesian: sialan (id), kampret (id), brengsek (id)
• Italian: accidenti (it), dannazione (it), cribbio (it), cavolo (it), mannaggia (it)
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} しまった! (shimatta!), ^{(please verify)} くそ (ja) (kuso) (lit. shit), ^{(please verify)} 畜生！ (ja) (ちくしょう！, chikushō!), ^{(please verify)} チェ！ (che!)
• Khmer: ឈឺក្បាលវិលមុខ (cʰɨɨ kbaal vɨl muk)
• Korean: 망할 (manghal)

• Lithuanian: velnias m
• Macedonian: по ѓаволите (po ǵavolite), проклетство (prokletstvo)
• Malay: hampas
• Manchu: ᠸᠠᠪᡠᡵᡠ (waburu)
• Maori: āhahā, aeha
• Mongolian: пизда! (pizda!)
• Persian: لعنتی‎ (fa) (la'nati)
• Polish: cholera (pl)!, do diabła (pl)!, psiakrew (pl)!, kurde (pl) m, psiamać (pl) f, kuźwa f (expressive), do pioruna, holender (pl) m, kurna chata (pl), do licha (pl)
• Portuguese: porcaria (pt), maldição (pt), droga (pt), poça (pt), meleca (pt), lasqueira (pt), pindarolas, chiça (pt)
• Russian: чёрт (ru) (čort, literally “devil”), чёрт побери́ (ru) (čórt poberí), прокля́тие (ru) n (prokljátije), блин (ru) (blin)
• Serbo-Croatian: kvragu (literally “to the devil”)
• Spanish: maldición (es), maldita sea, diablos (es)
• Swedish: fan (sv)
• Thai: ห่าเอ้ย
• Turkish: lanet olsun
• Vietnamese: á đù (vi)

Noun

damn (plural damns)

1. The use of "damn" as a curse.

   He said a few damns and left.

2. (mildly vulgar, chiefly in the negative) A small, negligible quantity, being of little value; a whit or jot.

   The new hires aren't worth a damn.

3. (mildly vulgar, chiefly in the negative) The smallest amount of concern or consideration.

   I don't give a damn.

Translations

use of damn as a swear word

• Albanian: mallkoj (sq)
• Belarusian: пра́клён (prákljon)
• Bulgarian: проклятие (bg) n (prokljatie)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 糟糕 (zh) (zāogāo), 該死 (zh), 该死 (zh) (gāisǐ), 哎呀 (zh) (āiyā), 咳 (zh) (hāi)

• Czech: sakra (cs)
• Finnish: hitto (fi)
• French: merde (fr), putain (fr)
• German: Verwünschung (de) f, Fluch (de) m

• Hindi: कोसना (hi) (kosnā)
• Italian: maledizione (it) f
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} しまった (shimatta), ^{(please verify)} 糞 (ja), ^{(please verify)} くそ (ja) (kuso) (lit. shit), ^{(please verify)} 最低の (saitei no)
• Lithuanian: prakeikimas m
• Portuguese: porcaria (pt) f, maldição (pt) f
• Romanian: (profane) la naiba!
• Russian: чёрт (ru) (čort, literally “devil”), чёрт побери́ (ru) (čórt poberí), прокля́тие (ru) n (prokljátije), чёрт возьми́ (ru) (čórt vozʹmí)
• Spanish: maldito (es)

a small, negligible quantity, being of little value

• German: Fliegenschiss m, Furz (de) m
• Italian: accidente (it) f

• Swedish: jota (sv) n, dugg (sv) n

the smallest amount of concern or consideration

• Galician: comiño (gl) m, pito (gl) m
• German: Mindeste n, Geringste n

• Italian: (un) tubo (it) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: (4) ^{(please verify)} fidiri
• Ido: ^{(please verify)} damnar (io)

• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 呪う (ja) (のろう, norou)
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} maldecir (es), ^{(please verify)} blasfemar (es)

Anagrams

• MDNA, NDMA, NMDA, mDNA, mand, nam'd