💥 Very, really 🧵 Repaired with thread

darned

27 7.4

An informal word that makes a feeling stronger, for example very tired

adjective
/dɑrnd/

Informal

: maldito

I'm darned if I can remember now.

My attitude is give me the whole gosh darn Kit Kat bar.

Autoplay Next

Examples

Plus, Google has done such a darn good job of search.
So I think that's a pretty darn good goal for one month.
Why, just the best darned general in the whole Northern Army.

The Red Badge of Courage (1951)
You know darned well it is.

Something to Sing About (1937)
Actually looks pretty darn good all things considered.
Why at that time was everything so darn smooth?
Most of all, I'm tired of being second to those... those darned Russians.

The Right Stuff (1983)
So KCL is pretty darn good, right?
Since I settled in Southern California, I've built up a darned good client list that includes a lot of wealthy movie people.

Fiction book (2001)
You know darned well it is.

Synonyms

damn

vsdarned

NSFW

∞ 7.5

Shows that something is very strong or important

is a gentler option used to soften emphasis and avoid vulgarity

goddamn

vsdarned

Offensive

659 9.2

Shows strong anger, annoyance, or surprise in rude informal speech

is chosen instead to give mild emphasis without using vulgar offensive words

heck

vsdarned

Informal

422 7.5

A small amount of care or worry about something

is used to intensify meaning gently instead of using harsher expletives

damned

vsdarned

NSFW

300 5.6

Said to make something sound very strong

is milder and often chosen specifically to avoid that stronger emphasis

goddamned

vsdarned

Offensive

121 9.9

Shows strong anger or annoyance in a rude way

is a mild, informal intensifier used when avoiding that offensive aggression

darn

vsdarned

Informal

62 6.7

A word people say when they feel annoyed or surprised

is used mainly to intensify meaning as a substitute for stronger words

infernal

vsdarned

Informal

14 7.4

Used before a noun to show strong anger or annoyance

is milder and less harsh in tone, chosen to avoid that strong emphasis

goddam

vsdarned

Offensive

9 9.9

Adds strong anger or surprise to what you say

is much milder, used to avoid that harsh vulgarity in casual talk

danged

vsdarned

Informal

5 8.6

Put before a word to show mild annoyance or strong feeling

is applied more generally to intensify meaning not limited to word position

dratted

vsdarned

Archaic

1 8.6

A mild word people use to show they are annoyed about something

is often chosen to intensify language gently rather than show direct anger

doggoned

vsdarned

Archaic

1 9.0

Used before a word to show mild anger or surprise

is used more broadly to intensify meaning across contexts rather than only before words

deuced

vsdarned

Archaic

1 9.9

A word people say before an adjective to show strong annoyance or emphasis

is the modern mild expletive form used to soften emphasis and sound current

durn

vsdarned

Informal

9.9

Feeling a little angry or annoyed about something

is less playful and more focused on intensifying meaning as a soft substitute

durned

vsdarned

Informal

9.9

A short word said to show surprise or mild anger

is used mainly to intensify meaning rather than only express surprise

blasted

vsdarned

Archaic

7.4

A mild rude word that you put before a noun to show annoyance

is more generally a mild intensifier across grammar positions, not only nouns

blessed

vsdarned

Informal

6.1

Often comes before a word to show anger or surprise

is a direct mild intensifier used broadly, not mainly as euphemistic replacement

blamed

vsdarned

8.2

Put before a noun to show strong annoyance

is less tied to noun placement and used for general mild intensification

consarned

vsdarned

Archaic

9.9

An old mild word people say when they are annoyed

is the contemporary mild intensifier used instead of that dated expression

dern

vsdarned

Archaic

9.9

An old word used to show anger or strong dislike

is the regular mild informal expletive used in general modern speech

tarnal

vsdarned

Archaic

9.9

Used before a noun to show strong annoyance

is the common modern mild expletive rather than an archaic regional form

goldamned

vsdarned

NSFW

9.9

People say this to show annoyance or strong feeling

is a common mild expletive used to avoid those more offensive variants

Idioms

I'll be darned

Informal

9.9

A way to say you are surprised or do not believe something

How Emphatic

damn

NSFW

∞ 6.7

darned

Informal

27 7.4

heck

Informal

422 7.5

Surface Forms

darned positive

Morphology

darned = darn (semi-transparent) = darn + ed

Formally 'darn' + '-ed' is a clear adjectival/past-participle formation, but the expletive/intensifying meaning is a euphemistic sense that may not be predictable from the 'mend' sense.

Etymology

Darned as a mild swear comes from the softer verb darn, which people began to use instead of 'damn' to avoid stronger language. So saying someone is 'darned' tired is a way to show strong feeling without a harsh curse.