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damnedest

American  
[dam-dist] / ˈdæm dɪst /

noun

  1. best; utmost.

    They did their damnedest to finish on time.


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 )

"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

Etymology

Origin of damnedest

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

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.

See Examples For:

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

"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

She didn’t — but the trial made her a tabloid sensation as she did her damnedest to spread covid-19 all over Manhattan.

From Washington Post Apr. 7, 2022

The first couple tried their damnedest to make life better for all, especially those mired in poverty and racial discrimination.

From New York Times Mar. 16, 2021

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

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

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