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damnedest

damnedest

8.6
To try very hard to do something
  • adverb
  • /ˈdæm.dɪst/
  • NSFW
translation icon : jodidamente
  • He did his damnedest to impress the judges at the talent show.

Examples

  • I'll try my damnedest to finish the project by the deadline.

  • I'LL DO MY DAMNEDEST.

  • She gave it her damnedest to win the championship this year.

Synonyms

damn
vsdamnedest
  • NSFW
7.5

Shows that something is very strong or important

is the superlative form that marks the highest possible emphasis
awfully
vsdamnedest
351 1.4

To show strong feeling or degree

is more informal and stresses a higher level of emphasis
damned
vsdamnedest
  • NSFW
300 5.6

Said to make something sound very strong

is more extreme, stressing the absolute highest degree
frightfully
vsdamnedest
  • UK
12 6.0

To emphasize something, like saying very

is more forceful and less regionally marked
hella
vsdamnedest
  • Slang
8 9.9

A word people use to mean very

is more emphatic and less regionally marked than that term
danged
vsdamnedest
  • Informal
5 8.6

Put before a word to show mild annoyance or strong feeling

is stronger and expresses a more extreme degree of emphasis
ultra
vsdamnedest
  • Informal
4 4.4

Adds emphasis to say something is very strong

is stronger, indicating the highest possible degree
deadly
vsdamnedest
2 3.9

To a very high degree

is more colloquial and expresses higher emotive emphasis
goddamnedest
vsdamnedest
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Very extreme and surprising that people use to show strong feeling

is equally extreme but more general informal emphasis
goddamndest
vsdamnedest
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Very surprising and impressive and said in a rude way

is similar but used more broadly, not only for shock
veriest
vsdamnedest
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Used to show that something is the most complete or extreme example

is similar in degree but modern and more forceful in speech
doggoned
vsdamnedest
  • Archaic
1 9.0

Used before a word to show mild anger or surprise

is stronger and more forceful, showing the highest emphasis
darnedest
vsdamnedest
  • Informal
7.8

To try very hard to do something

is harsher and stresses maximal intensity rather than humor

Idioms

To try very hard to do something

How Intense

damnedest
  • NSFW
8.6
extremely
1.0
very
1.0
quite
1.0
fairly
895 1.0
somewhat
816 2.0

Surface Forms

damnedest positive

Morphology

damnedest = damned (transparent) = damn + ed + est

The use as an intensifying degree ('extremely') follows directly from the adjectival intensifier 'damned' with superlative marking.

Etymology

Damnedest as an adverb is used like a very strong 'very'. It comes from damn ('to blame') and the ending -est works like in best, so damnedest is a way to say 'extremely'.