goddamn
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.used to show you are very annoyed or angry about something.
adj.used as an attributive intensifier to express irritation, contempt, or anger toward the noun it modifies.
Simple“I can't find my goddamn keys anywhere and I'm already late.”
In context“He spent the entire afternoon trying to fix that goddamn leaky faucet, only to realize he didn't have the right tools for the job.”
UsageAlways placed before the noun it modifies; it is non-gradable.
- 02 C1 Advanced
interj.a rude word you shout when you are surprised, angry, or frustrated.
interj.an expletive used to vent sudden emotion, typically frustration or shock.
Simple“Goddamn, that hurt my toe.”
In context“Goddamn, I never expected the project to fail so spectacularly after all the overtime we put in.”
Teacher's tipThis is considered offensive by many religious people; learners should use it with extreme caution in social settings.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.used in negative sentences to mean you do not care at all.
n.used in the negative to indicate a total lack of concern or value.
Simple“I don't give a goddamn what they think of my new haircut.”
In context“The CEO made it clear that he didn't give a goddamn about the staff's complaints as long as the quarterly profits remained high.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used in the phrase 'not give a goddamn'.
From God + damn; originally, and sometimes still, a present subjunctive expression of a wish that God smite someone for their wickedness; compare also antonymous God bless, God bless you, and God love (someone or something).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.