I. dam, ˈdaa(ə)m verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English dampnen, from Old French dampner, from Latin damnare to condemn, from damnum damage, fine, harm, loss; perhaps akin to Old Norse tafn sacrifice, Latin daps sacrificial feast, Greek dapanē expenditure, daptein to devour, Sanskrit dayate he apportions — more at tide
transitive verb
1.
a. obsolete : to adjudge (a person) guilty or culpable : sentence judicially
b. : to condemn to a punishment or fate : doom
if we fail, then we have damned every man to be the slave of fear — B.M.Baruch
2.
a. : to doom to everlasting punishment in the future world : consign to perdition : curse
b. : to bring about the damnation of
3. : to condemn as invalid, illegal, immoral, bad, or harmful : pronounce adverse judgment upon
damning movies for corrupting the minds of young innocents
spent three months there and returned with a most damning report — A.G.N.Flew
specifically : to condemn (a work of art) as a failure
4. : to bring condemnation or ruin upon : ruin
the story of a … minister damned by his recognition of the mean emotionalism of his church — J.D.Hart
a democracy is damned when its leaders are slaves; it is safe when its leaders are not afraid to be free — New Republic
5. : to invoke damnation upon : swear at by using damn : curse — often used to express annoyance, disgust, or surprise
damn him, he ought to have been careful
well, I'll be damned
intransitive verb
: curse , swear — often used interjectionally especially to express annoyance, disgust, or surprise
Synonyms: see execrate
II. noun
( -s )
1. : the utterance of the word damn as a curse
2. : something of little value — used in various slang or profane phrases
didn't give a damn
not worth a damn
III. adjective
Etymology: by shortening
: damned I 2a, 2b
IV. adverb
Etymology: by shortening
: damned II
Americans … will write letters to editors about damn near anything — New Yorker