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damn

14 synonyms and 1 antonym for damn, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Interjection — Used to express anger, frustration, or surprise.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

drat good grief bedamn anathemize maledict anathemise imprecate beshrew

Synonyms by Meaning

1. interjection

Used to express anger, frustration, or surprise.

“Damn, I forgot my keys again.”

darn dang blast drat shoot good grief

2. adverb

Used to intensify a statement, similar to "very" or "extremely."

“That's a damn good idea.”

3. verb

To condemn or criticize harshly.

“Critics damned the film for its weak script.”

bedamn anathemize curse maledict anathemise imprecate beshrew

Opposites

How to use damn

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

damn good damn it not worth a damn

Considered a mild profanity — common in casual speech but best avoided in formal writing.

Etymology

From Old French damner, from Latin damnare ("to condemn, to inflict loss upon").

Full origin of damn →

Frequently asked questions

What does “damn” mean?
The word “damn” means used to express anger, frustration, or surprise. In plain terms, a mild swear word used for emphasis, frustration, or to condemn something strongly.
How do you pronounce “damn”?
“Damn” is pronounced DAM (/ˈdæm/ in IPA).
How do you use “damn” in a sentence?
Here is “damn” used in a sentence: “Damn, I forgot my keys again.”
What part of speech is “damn”?
Depending on how it is used, “damn” can be an interjection, an adverb and a verb.
Where does the word “damn” come from?
The word “damn” comes from Latin. From Old French damner, from Latin damnare ("to condemn, to inflict loss upon").
Is “damn” a common word?
“Damn” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “damn” have?
“Damn” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: used to express anger, frustration, or surprise.
Is 'damn' a bad word?
Damn is a mild swear word. It was once considered strongly offensive because of its religious meaning, but today most people regard it as fairly gentle, far milder than stronger profanity. It is fine in casual speech among friends, though best avoided in formal writing or very polite company.
What is the difference between 'damn' and 'darn'?
Darn is a polite, softened substitute for damn, created so people could express frustration without swearing. The two mean the same thing as exclamations, but damn is the original mild profanity while darn is a family-friendly stand-in you can use freely in almost any setting.
Is 'damn' formal or informal?
Damn is informal. As an exclamation of anger, frustration, or surprise, it belongs to casual, spoken English and relaxed writing. You would not use it in a business report, academic essay, or polite formal letter, where a phrase like 'how frustrating' would be more appropriate.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.