damnation

American  

[dam-ney-shuhn] / dæmˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of damning or the state of being damned.

2. a cause or occasion of being damned.

3. Theology. condemnation to eternal punishment as a consequence of sin.

4. an oath expressing anger, disappointment, etc.

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interjection

1. (used in exclamatory phrases to express anger, disappointment, etc.)

damnation British  

/ dæmˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of damning or state of being damned

2. a cause or instance of being damned

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interjection

1. an exclamation of anger, disappointment, etc

damnation Cultural  

1. Eternal punishment in hell. (See mortal sin/venial sin.)

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Other Word Forms

• nondamnation
  noun
• predamnation
  noun
• self-damnation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of damnation

1250–1300; Middle English dam ( p ) nacioun < Old French damnation < Latin damnātiōn- (stem of damnātiō ), equivalent to damnāt ( us ) (past participle of damnāre; see damn, -ate ¹) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Damnation is the act of damning, which is a lot like condemning. Damnation dooms people. In many religious traditions, when someone is damned, it means they are doomed to suffer horribly in hell forever. Damnation, therefore, is the action of sending someone to hell. However, this word can refer to other forms of being condemned. Being sentenced to prison is a type of damnation. Being disgraced in public is a type of damnation. Anything that dooms you is damnation of a sort. Often, damnation comes from our own actions.

Example Sentences

For generations, the Gundersens have been stewards of Damnation Grove on the California coast.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2021

Same with Rainy Pass, in the North Cascades, and many dozens of other why-am-I-here places, including Damnation Peak, so labeled by exasperated prospectors.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2020

The Metropolitan Opera didn’t mean to put on concert performances of Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust” this winter.

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2020

In 2008, he appeared in a regularly scheduled matinee performance of Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust,” then returned that evening to fill in for a sick tenor in “Madama Butterfly.”

From Washington Post • Oct. 8, 2019

"Damnation, how many years has it been? And he gives us no more notice than this? How many in his party, did the message say?"

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin