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Glite Dictionary
I'll be damned

I'll be damned

31 9.9
An expression of strong surprise or refusal to do something
  • idiom
  • NSFW
translation icon : Me cago en todo
  • I’ve only got a few days of vacation, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna spend them on the phone.
  • Well, I'll be damned
  • I'll be damned if I let
  • I'll be damned if I know

He'd get up in Congress and say things like, I'll be damned if I let these people whose blood is on their coats standing right in front of me to pass any law for this country.

Examples

  • "Well, I'll be damned," said Curry.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • "I don't mind playing on a fair field, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna lose out because an employee sold me down the river."

    Fiction book (1997)

  • "I'll be damned," Edward said, "she sold it, Mother."

    Fiction book (2002)

  • But I'll be damned, Daniel got called first.

    Blog text (31)

  • I'll be damned if you go in that well.

    Midnight (2020)

  • I may not be seen, but I'll be damned if I won't be heard.

  • I haven't been able to find a job yet, and I'll be damned if I'm going to lie around the house all day and watch the soaps.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I'll be damed if I let anyone disrespect my family.

  • If there's a chance to win, I'll be damed if I don't take it.

  • I'll be damed if I'm going to let you tell me what to do.

Synonyms

I'll be darned
vsI'll be damned
  • Informal
9.9

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

adds a sense of strong refusal or firm determination rather than only surprise

How Surprised

I'll be dipped in shit
  • Offensive
9.9
I'll be damned
  • NSFW
31 9.9
I'll be darned
  • Informal
9.9
oh really
13 7.4
oh
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

I'll be damned main

Morphology

I'll + be + damned

The phrase functions as an idiomatic exclamation of surprise, disbelief, or strong refusal and does not mean that the speaker will literally be condemned. Knowing 'I', 'will/be', and 'damned' (literal 'condemned' or an intensifier) does not allow a B1 learner to predict this pragmatic interjectional use; the contraction 'I'll' and the fixed phrase usage are language-specific and non-compositional.

Etymology

I'll be damned comes from old religious oaths where people said 'may I be damned' to show a very strong promise or to curse themselves if they were wrong. That's why today I'll be damned is used to show 'surprise', 'disbelief', or a strong 'refusal'.