damned
Americanadjective
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condemned or doomed, especially to eternal punishment.
the wailing of damned souls.
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detestable; loathsome.
Get that damned dog out of here!
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complete; absolute; utter.
a damned nuisance; a damned fool.
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Informal. extraordinary; amazing.
It was the damnedest thing I'd ever seen.
noun
adverb
idioms
adjective
adverb
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(intensifier)
a damned good try
a damned liar
I should damned well think so!
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used to indicate amazement, disavowal, or refusal (in such phrases as I'll be damned and damned if I care )
Other Word Forms
Adjective Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of damned
First recorded in 1350–1400, damned is from the Middle English word dam(p)ned. See damn, -ed 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His novel “The Damned Utd,” based on Brian Clough’s disastrous 44 days managing Leeds United in 1974, captures the texture of an English provincial city of the era, all shabby hotels, beer and highways.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
That same year, the Sex Pistols cursed on live TV, John Holmstrom and Legs McNeil co-founded Punk magazine, and the Damned released the first British punk single, “New Rose.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
There’s fighting and running and shooting, with the Damned and Black Sabbath on the soundtrack and, of course, oodles of deduction, from Sherlock and James alike.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 19, 2025
Bogert shrugged, “To see Herbie? Good! Damned good!”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
