damnedest

American  

[dam-dist] / ˈdæm dɪst /

noun

1. best; utmost.

   They did their damnedest to finish on time.

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adjective

1. most amazing or extraordinary.

   It was the damnedest coincidence, running into her in Paris after all these years of avoiding each other in Atlanta.

damnedest British  

/ ˈdæmdɪst /

noun

1. informal utmost; best (esp in the phrases do or try one's damnedest )

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Etymology

Origin of damnedest

First recorded in 1820–30; damned + -est ¹

Example Sentences

“We’re doing our damnedest to get this right,” said Steven Siegel, a board member of the Colorado Healing Fund.

From New York Times • Jun. 25, 2023

"It can't achieve strategic surprise but it will try its damnedest to achieve operational and tactical surprise. That will involve concealment, camouflage, deception, misinformation which they used quite successfully last autumn."

From Reuters • Jun. 14, 2023

“I just think that it’s a really major part of the American contribution to the history of comedy. I like to try my damnedest to keep it alive,” he said.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2022

And here in the United States, on St. Patrick’s Day, I’ll be doing my damnedest not to enter one.

From Washington Post • Mar. 11, 2022

“All right,” I said, trying my damnedest to sound like them.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely