tarnal
9.9
Used before a noun to show strong annoyance
- adjective
- /ˈtɑrnəl/
- Archaic
:
maldito
- That tarnal dog keeps digging up my garden.
Examples
-
She was tired of the tarnal noise coming from next door every night.
-
That tarnal car broke down again!
-
He couldn't fix the tarnal machine no matter how hard he tried.
-
What a tarnal mistake!
-
That tarnal dog keeps digging up my garden.
-
She was tired of the tarnal noise coming from next door every night.
-
What a tarnal mistake!
Synonyms
27
7.4
An informal word that makes a feeling stronger, for example very tired
is archaic or dialectal rather than common modern informal usage
14
7.4
Used before a noun to show strong anger or annoyance
is archaic or dialectal and expresses annoyance more than strong anger
5
8.6
Put before a word to show mild annoyance or strong feeling
is archaic or dialectal and not the usual modern informal choice
Compounds
How Emphatic
Surface Forms
tarnal positive
Etymology
Tarnal was also used as a strong word of anger or surprise, like darned or tarnation, so a helpful way to remember this sense is to think of it as a folk way to say 'very' or 'confounded' when someone is annoyed.