Damien

American

[dey-mee-uhn, da-myan] / ˈdeɪ mi ən, daˈmyɛ̃ /

noun

Father Joseph de Veuster, 1840–89, Belgian Roman Catholic missionary to the lepers of Molokai.

Damien British

/ damjɛ̃ /

noun

Joseph (ʒozɛf), known as Father Damien. 1840–89, Belgian Roman Catholic missionary to the leper colony at Molokai, Hawaii

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Frenchmen Silas Despréaux and Damien Guerot will also receive bravery awards after they armed themselves with metal bollards and tried to stop Cauchi.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Sklar was once the toast of the art world at the level of, say, Damien Hirst.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Cypress 7, Damien 2: Nick Nelson threw a complete game with six strikeouts.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Through his many years of coaching at Damien and previously at Glendora, he’s mentored such outstanding players as Tracy Murray, Casey Jacobsen and Cameron Murray.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Damien didn’t even say hello, he just shook his head when he saw me and went upstairs to Cathy’s bedroom.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023