darn it
- idiom
- Informal
- Darn it, I can't believe I forgot my keys again!
- Gosh darn it
- Oh, darn it
Gosh darn it, this game is impossible.
- Gosh darn it, this game is impossible.
- I'm like, I have to sit there and watch you drink that, Gosh darn it.
- I was thinking we're going to fly in Slurpees, darn it.
Examples
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Darn it, yes.
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Gosh darn it, you look familiar.
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"Darn it, Frank," Joe said.
Fiction book (1996) -
But gosh darn it, it's just, it's a lot.
-
Gosh darn it, this game is impossible.
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Oh, darn it, that signals the end of our game.
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Darn it, another dead end.
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Darn it, now I have to think about this.
Blog text (18) -
Darn it, I can't get any further.
-
But darn it, Lois, that's enough now.
Synonyms
Said to show anger, surprise or annoyance
Shows strong anger, annoyance, or surprise in rude informal speech
A small amount of care or worry about something
An angry or surprised question showing you do not believe something
Shows strong anger or annoyance in a rude way
A short cry people say when they feel frustrated or annoyed
A strong expression showing anger, surprise, or urgency
A word people say when they feel annoyed or surprised
People say it to show impatience or anger
A very rude phrase people say to show strong anger or annoyance
You say this when you feel very annoyed or impatient
An informal word that makes a feeling stronger, for example very tired
Shows someone is annoyed, impatient, or in a hurry when spoken
A short angry cry people say when they feel annoyed or frustrated
A strong rude shout people use when they feel very angry or shocked
Say it when you are annoyed to ask someone to do or stop something
Adds strong anger or surprise to what you say
A short spoken word people use to show mild annoyance or disappointment
A short exclamation that shows annoyance or disappointment
A short informal word people say when they feel surprise, shock, or annoyance
A short cry people make when they feel pain or are annoyed
An informal word people say to show surprise, annoyance, or that they do not believe something
A person asks angrily and urgently for someone to act now
A phrase that shows frustration or annoyance
A mild word people use to show they are annoyed about something
People say a strong angry word when they feel very annoyed
Say it when you suddenly feel upset or annoyed about a mistake
A short word people say to show mild anger, surprise, or frustration
A short phrase people say when they are annoyed
To say an old-fashioned rude word to show surprise or anger
A mild exclamation people say when they feel annoyed or disappointed
A short mild word people say when they are annoyed
Feeling a little angry or annoyed about something
A short word said to show surprise or mild anger
A loud informal shout that shows surprise, shock, or strong annoyance
An old mild word people say when they are annoyed
An old word used to show anger or strong dislike
Very bad and annoying
People say this to show annoyance or strong feeling
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
darn + it
The meaning of 'darn it' is directly derived from 'darn' (a mild exclamation of frustration) with 'it' pointing to the offending thing or situation; the pronoun does not change the basic exclamative meaning. This simple compositional pattern (exclamation + pronoun/object slot) is common across languages and thus readily understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The expression darn it began as a softer way to say the rude word 'damn it' when people wanted to avoid swearing. So today people say darn it to show frustration or annoyance without using a stronger curse.