darn

[ dahrn ]

/ dɑrn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR darn ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to mend, as torn clothing, with rows of stitches, sometimes by crossing and interweaving rows to span a gap.

noun

a darned place, as in a garment: an old sock full of darns.

Nearby words

darling, jay norwood, darlingly, darlington, darmstadt, darmstadtium, darn, darnation, darned, darnedest, darnel, darner

Origin of darn

1590–1600; perhaps to be identified with Middle English dernen to keep secret, conceal, Old English (Anglian) dernan

SYNONYMS FOR darn

1 See mend.

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Definition for darn (2 of 2)

darn

[ dahrn ]

/ dɑrn /

Informal.

adjective, adverb

darned.

verb (used with object)

to curse; damn: Darn that pesky fly!

Origin of darn

First recorded in 1775–85; see origin at darned

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for darn

But, darn it, here was a game of courage, passion, and skill.
Up To a Point: Oops, I Enjoyed Soccer|P. J. O’Rourke|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If elected, his first goal for immigration would be to “build that darn fence.”
The Banker Sneaking Up on the Republicans Running for Senate in Nebraska|Ben Jacobs|May 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is just still way too darn early for Kentuckians to care about an election just less than a year away.
Alison Grimes Will Have to Step It Up to Beat Mitch McConnell|Sam Youngman|November 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For the dad, the film reinforced the notion that people need not really care a darn about most others.
87 Gun Deaths a Day: Why the Colorado Shooting is Tragically Unsurprising|James Warren|July 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST

This commercial is darn creative—and raises some interesting questions about human flexibility.
16 Banned Super Bowl Ads|The Daily Beast Video|February 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I've given him the scare of a lifetime, and I've unshipped him from his safe anchorage on that darn Labrador coast.
The Man in the Twilight|Ridgwell Cullum
Wal, stranger, I calculated it would be steepish, but darn me if I thought it would lean back!
Colorado Jim|George Goodchild
Wal, darn me, but you keep your help in all-fired good order here.
Our American Cousin|Tom Taylor
It's bad enough to see a woman cry; but this 'ere is more than I can bear, darn me if it aint.
The Gold Brick|Ann S. Stephens
Then he told Horn that he was going to burn the darn stuff up, trade being bad, anyway.
Homeburg Memories|George Helgesen Fitch

British Dictionary definitions for darn (1 of 2)

darn

/ (dɑːn) /

verb

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

noun

a patch of darned work on a garment

the process or act of darning

Derived Forms

darner, noundarning, noun

Word Origin for darn

C16: probably from French (Channel Islands dialect) darner; compare Welsh, Breton darn piece

British Dictionary definitions for darn (2 of 2)

darn

/ (dɑːn) /

interjection, adjective, adverb, noun

a euphemistic word for damn (def. 1), damn (def. 2), damn (def. 4), damn (def. 4), damn (def. 15)

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