damn

damn
\ \ [13] Damn comes via Old French damner from Latin damnāre, a derivative of the noun damnum. This originally meant ‘loss, harm’ (it is the source of English damage), but the verb damnāre soon spread its application to ‘pronounce judgment upon’, in both the legal and the theological sense. These meanings (reflected also in the derived condemn) followed the verb through Old French into English, which dropped the strict legal sense around the 16th century but has persisted with the theological one and its more profane offshoots.
\ \ Cf.CONDEMN, DAMAGE, INDEMNITY

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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Synonyms:
, / , , / , , , , (all in a metaphorical sense, as applied to a play, writing, or cause)


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  • damn — ► VERB 1) (be damned) (in Christian belief) be condemned by God to eternal punishment in hell. 2) harshly condemn. 3) curse. ► EXCLAMATION informal ▪ expressing anger or frustration. ► ADJECTIVE informal ▪ u …   English terms dictionary

  • damn´er — damn «dam», verb, noun, adjective, adverb, interjection. –v.t. 1. to declare (something) to be bad or inferior; condemn: »The critics damned the new book. SYNONYM(S): denounce, proscribe, execrate. 2. to cause to fail; ruin: » …   Useful english dictionary

  • damn — [dam] vt. damned, damning [ME damnen < OFr damner < L damnare, to condemn, fine < damnum, loss, injury, akin to Gr dapanē, cost < IE * depno , sacrificial feast < base * dā(i) , to part, divide > TIME, TATTER] 1. a) Obs. to… …   English World dictionary

  • Damn — (d[a^]m), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Damned} (d[a^]md or d[a^]m n[e^]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {Damning} (d[a^]m [i^]ng or d[a^]m n[i^]ng).] [OE. damnen dampnen (with excrescent p), OF. damner, dampner, F. damner, fr. L. damnare, damnatum, to condemn, fr.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Damn U — US 7 single Single by Prince from the album Love Symbol B side …   Wikipedia

  • damn — late 13c., to condemn, from O.Fr. damner damn, condemn; convict, blame; injure, derivative of L. damnare to adjudge guilty; to doom; to condemn, blame, reject, from noun damnum damage, hurt, harm; loss, injury; a fine, penalty, possibly from an… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Damn — Damn, v. i. To invoke damnation; to curse. While I inwardly damn. Goldsmith. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • damn it — damn it/you/him/etc impolite phrase used when you are annoyed about something Jim’s never around when he’s supposed to be – damn him! Thesaurus: impolite and offensive expressions used when anno …   Useful english dictionary

  • damn — index proscribe (denounce) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • damn — vb 1 doom, condemn, *sentence, proscribe Analogous words: *judge, adjudge: *punish, castigate, discipline Antonyms: save (from eternal punishment) Contrasted words: redeem, ransom, *rescue, delive …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • damn — [v] condemn, denounce abuse, anathematize, attack, ban, banish, blaspheme, blast, castigate, cast out, censure, complain of, confound, convict, criticize, cry down, curse, cuss*, darn, denunciate, doom, drat, excommunicate, excoriate, execrate,… …   New thesaurus

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