# praise with faint damns

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/praise-with-faint-damns
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To provide minimal critique, implying that the criticism is the worst that could be said of someone or something.

## Examples

- The critic praised the movie with faint damns.
- He did not like the book, so he praised it with faint damns to avoid a direct argument.
- By describing the performance as merely adequate, the reviewer praised it with faint damns, effectively signaling his true disappointment to the audience.

## Origin

Inversion of damn with faint praise.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.