verb

darn

dahn

verb

To mend a hole or worn patch in fabric by weaving thread back and forth across it.

"My grandmother taught me how to darn socks instead of throwing them away."

"He darned the elbow of his old jumper."

intj

A mild exclamation of annoyance, used as a softened substitute for "damn."

""Darn it," she muttered, dropping her keys again."

How to Use Darn

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither to repair a hole with stitching, or a polite way of saying "damn" when something goes wrong.

Common mistake

Don't confuse the sewing verb with the mild swear — context makes it obvious, but they are unrelated in meaning despite being spelled the same.

Common pairings

darn a sock darn it well, darn

darned past tense, darned past tense, darns plural, darns plural, darns singular, darns singular

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Can you complete this real example?

My grandmother taught me how to _____ socks instead of throwing them away.

The mending sense comes from Middle English/Old French roots for weaving; the exclamation is simply a softened, "minced" form of damn.

Arn barn earn yarn tarn warn learn yearn Hearn