damned

damned — adjective

1. A mildly offensive word used to show you feel angry or annoyed about a person, t

1.形容詞B2
釋義

A mildly offensive word used to show you feel angry or annoyed about a person, thing, or situation you are dealing with.

例句

Constanza could not find her damned keys anywhere in the house.

damned + noun (object of frustration)

The damned photocopier jammed again right before the morning meeting.

同義詞
  • blasted

    slightly milder than 'damned'; expresses exasperation at repeated failure

  • bloody

    very common in British English; can be used both for annoyance and as a general intensifier

  • cursed

    slightly old-fashioned or humorous, as if the object is under a spell

文法句型

damned + noun (person/thing causing annoyance)

用法筆記

A mild-to-moderate swear word. Less offensive than the original religious sense of 'damned' in modern everyday usage, but still considered too strong for formal or polite situations. Common in casual conversation among friends or in informal writing such as text messages and social media posts.

常見錯誤

❌The damned package arrived late.' (in a formal complaint email)
✅The package arrived late.
💡'damned' is too informal and mildly offensive for formal written communication.
❌I am damned because of this traffic jam.
✅This damned traffic jam is making me late.
💡'damned' is an adjective or adverb, not a verb; the verb form is 'damn'.

2. Used before a noun or adjective to make what you are saying stronger, often when

2.形容詞B2
釋義

Used before a noun or adjective to make what you are saying stronger, often when you have a strong feeling about the topic.

例句

It is a damned good film — you really should go and see it.

intensifier before adjective: damned good

Matthew made damned sure all the windows were locked before leaving the house.

collocation: damned sure + that-clause

同義詞
  • damn

    the shorter form, used identically as an intensifier; no difference in meaning or register

  • very

    neutral and safe for all registers; 'damned' is much stronger and informal

文法句型

damned + adjective + noun

damned + sure + that-clause / to-infinitive

用法筆記

Often paired with evaluative adjectives such as 'good', 'fine', and 'sure'. The emphasis is strongest when the speaker feels strongly about what they are saying. In this sense 'damned' can also be written as 'damn' (e.g. 'a damn good film') with no difference in meaning.

常見錯誤

❌This is a damned blue pen.
✅This is a damned good pen.
💡'damned' as an intensifier works best with evaluative adjectives, not neutral descriptors like colours or shapes.

3. Describing a situation where every possible course of action leads to an unpleas

3.形容詞C1
釋義

Describing a situation where every possible course of action leads to an unpleasant result, or where bad things keep happening no matter what you do.

例句

Saira felt damned whichever choice she made about the job offer.

be damned: feeling trapped by all options

The team faced a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't dilemma over the budget cuts.

fixed expression: damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't

同義詞
  • cursed

    similar no-win connotation but slightly more dramatic or superstitious

  • doomed

    suggests failure is certain regardless of what you do; less informal than 'damned'

文法句型

damned if X, damned if Y

be damned (in a hopeless position)

用法筆記

Most commonly appears in the fixed expression 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' to describe a no-win situation. The shorter forms 'I'm damned if I know' (meaning 'I have no idea') and 'I'll be damned' (expressing surprise) are also common idioms. Do not confuse this colloquial sense with the religious meaning of eternal punishment.

常見錯誤

❌If I go, I am damned. If I stay, I am also damned.
✅It is a damned-if-I-go, damned-if-I-stay situation.
💡the fixed expression uses the 'damned if X, damned if Y' pattern, not a standard conditional sentence.

damned — adverb

damned — noun