# damned

/ˈdæmd/ (US) · /dˈæmd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/damned
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. annoying or emphasized

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal · Vulgar

used to show you are very annoyed or to emphasize what you are saying.

For teachers: used as an attributive intensifier to express frustration, contempt, or strong emphasis.

- I can't get this damned computer to start properly.
- He spent the entire afternoon trying to fix that damned leak in the roof, only to find the pipe was completely rusted through.

Usage: Usually placed immediately before the noun it modifies.

### 2. very

adverb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Vulgar

used to mean 'very' when you want to sound strong or angry.

For teachers: functioning as an intensifier meaning 'extremely' or 'very'.

- It is damned hard to find a good job these days.
- The climb was damned difficult, but the view from the summit made every painful step worth the effort.

Usage: Modifies adjectives or other adverbs.

### 3. condemned to hell

adjective · CEFR C2 · Formal · Literary

sent to hell or punished by God forever.

For teachers: condemned by God to suffer eternal punishment in hell.

- The old stories tell of damned souls wandering the dark forest.
- The poet depicted the damned spirits as being trapped in a frozen lake, forever separated from the light of heaven.

### 4. people in hell

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Literary

people who are believed to be punished in hell forever.

For teachers: those who are condemned to eternal punishment.

- The painting showed the angels above and the damned below.
- In many traditional depictions of the Last Judgment, the damned are shown being led away by shadows while the righteous ascend.

Usage: Usually functions as a collective noun with 'the'.

## Examples

- The old stories tell of the souls of the damned.
- In the epic poem, the narrator descends into the underworld to witness the suffering of the damned.
- The novelist portrays the residents of the slum not as mere statistics, but as the damned of the modern city, trapped by systemic neglect and cycles of poverty.

---

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.