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

Then again, as you noted, “The Eras Tour” is doing its damnedest to give movie theaters a badly needed shot of adrenaline.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2023

“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

“We will do our damnedest but it’s hard to fight them all.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2022

Sometimes I walk the wall with Ida, who tries her damnedest to draw me into conversation, to no avail.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland