darn

¹ American  

[dahrn] / dɑrn /

adjective

1. darned.

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verb (used with object)

1. to curse; damn.

   Darn that pesky fly!

idioms

1. give a darn. damn.

darn ² American  

[dahrn] / dɑrn /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to mend (torn clothing, especially of knitted fabric) with rows of stitches, sometimes by crossing and interweaving rows to span a gap.

   At the sound of my greeting, Grandma looked up and stopped darning the sock, holding her arms out for a hug.

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noun

darns plural

1. a darned place, as in a garment.

   That old sweater full of darns was one of my favorite things to put on after work.

darn ¹ British  

/ dɑːn /

verb

1. to mend (a hole or a garment) with a series of crossing or interwoven stitches

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noun

1. a patch of darned work on a garment

2. the process or act of darning

darn ² British  

/ dɑːn /

interjection

1. a euphemistic word for damn damn damn damn damn

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Synonym Usage

See mend.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• darner
  noun
• darning
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• darns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of darn¹

First recorded in 1775–85; see origin at darned

Origin of darn²

First recorded in 1590–1600; origin unknown

Explanation

To darn is to stitch up a small hole in a piece of clothing. Instead of throwing your worn-out socks away, you can just darn the holes in their toes. When you darn your socks or sweaters, you use a needle and thread to close small holes in the woven fabric. There's even a specific stitch known as a "darning stitch," in which you first weave the thread with the grain of the fabric, and then fill in the other "woven" direction. The result is a sturdy patch made only of thread. Darn comes from the Middle French darner, "mend."

Example Sentences

When it showcased the 2019 revival of “Kiss Me, Kate”—the one with Kelli O’Hara, Stephanie Styles and Corbin Bleu—members of my household were online buying tickets before “Too Darn Hot” had cooled off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Lanchester had been nominated before, in 1949's Come to the Stable, and after Laughton's death she continued to work steadily, including on a number of Disney films including Mary Poppins and That Darn Cat!.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

I’d like to recommend the actual perfect hiking sock, Darn Tough’s Coolmax Hiker Boot mid-weight hiking sock.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2024

That’s why readers say you’ll also need waterproof shoes and warm socks — specifically wool socks, and even more specifically, a few recommended Darn Tough merino wool socks.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2023

“Your sparrows, eh? Savage little creatures. No discipline of course. Darn good fighters, though. But tell me, what do jolly old sparrows know about Asmodeus?”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• dang
• doggone