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damn

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈdæm// UK //dˈæm// damn Archaic Vulgar

n. the smallest possible amount of care or interest in something. You usually use it in negative sentences to show you do not care at all.

n. the smallest conceivable amount of concern or interest. Used almost exclusively in negative constructions to emphasize total indifference; informal and mildly vulgar in register.


SIMPLE

I don't give a damn what they think.

CONTEXTUAL

He didn't seem to give a damn about the rules as long as he finished the job on time.

COMPLEX

The protagonist's refusal to give a damn about social expectations makes him a compelling, if occasionally frustrating, figure in modern literature.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English dampnen, from Old French damner, from Latin damnāre (“to condemn, inflict loss upon”), from damnum (“loss”).

Usage

Almost always used in the singular with the verb 'give' in negative phrases ('don't give a damn', 'not worth a damn').

Idioms5 entries

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