adj. damned·er (dămdər), damned·est (dămdĭst) 1. a. In various religions, condemned to eternal punishment. b. Destined to an unhappy fate: "His pedagogy is Puritan, fashioned around an enlightened elect. Outsiders are damned to the darkness of ignorance" (Molly Worthen). "He never did give Iris that gift. He was saved from doing it—or damned to leave it undone—because of the cataclysm that befell a dear friend of hers" (Philip Roth). 2. Informal Deserving condemnation; detestable: this damned weather. 3. Used as an intensive: a damned fool. adv. damneder, damnedest Used as an intensive: a damned poor excuse. n. (used with a pl. verb) People who are damned considered as a group. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.