damn with faint praise, to praise so moderately as, in effect, to condemn: The critic damned the opera with faint praise when he termed the production adequate.
14.
give a damn, Informal. to care; be concerned; consider as important: You shouldn't give a damn about their opinions. Also, give a darn.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME dam(p)nen < OF dam(p)ner < L damnāre to condemn, deriv. of damnum damage, fine, harm]
c.1280, "to condemn," from O.Fr. damner, derivative of L. noun damnare, from damnum "damage, loss, hurt." Latin word evolved a legal meaning of "pronounce judgment upon." Theological sense is first recorded c.1325; the optative expletive use likely is as old. To be not worth a damn is from 1817. Damn Yankee, characteristic Southern U.S. term for "Northerner," is attested from 1812.
expletives used informally as intensifiers; "he's a blasted idiot"; "it's a blamed shame"; "a blame cold winter"; "not a blessed dime"; "I'll be damned (or blessed or darned or goddamned) if I'll do any such thing"; "he's a damn (or goddam or goddamned) fool"; "a deuced idiot"; "an infernal nuisance"
adverb
1.
extremely; "you are bloody right"; "Why are you so all-fired aggressive?" [syn: bloody]
noun
1.
something of little value; "his promise is not worth a damn"; "not worth one red cent"; "not worth shucks"
verb
1.
wish harm upon; invoke evil upon; "The bad witch cursed the child" [syn: curse] [ant: bless]
Con*demn"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Condemned; p. pr. & vb. n. Condemning (? or ?).] [L. condemnare; con- + damnare to condemn: cf. F. condamner. See Damn.]1. To pronounce to be wrong; to disapprove of; to censure. Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it! Why, every fault's condemned ere it be done. --Shak. Wilt thou condemn him that is most just? --Job xxxiv. 17. 2. To declare the guilt of; to make manifest the faults or unworthiness of; to convict of guilt. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it. --Matt. xii. 42. 3. To pronounce a judicial sentence against; to sentence to punishment, suffering, or loss; to doom; -- with to before the penalty. Driven out from bliss, condemned In this abhorred deep to utter woe. --Milton. To each his sufferings; all are men, Condemned alike to groan. --Gray. And they shall condemn him to death. --Matt. xx. 18. The thief condemned, in law already dead. --Pope. No flocks that range the valley free, To slaughter I condemn. --Goldsmith. 4. To amerce or fine; -- with in before the penalty. The king of Egypt . . . condemned the land in a hundred talents of silver. --2 Cron. xxxvi. 3. 5. To adjudge or pronounce to be unfit for use or service; to adjudge or pronounce to be forfeited; as, the ship and her cargo were condemned. 6. (Law) To doom to be taken for public use, under the right of eminent domain. Syn: To blame; censure; reprove; reproach; upbraid; reprobate; convict; doom; sentence; adjudge.
Dam"age\, n. [OF. damage, domage, F. dommage, fr. assumed LL. damnaticum, from L. damnum damage. See Damn.]1. Injury or harm to person, property, or reputation; an inflicted loss of value; detriment; hurt; mischief. He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet and drinketh damage. --Prov. xxvi. 6. Great errors and absurdities many commit for want of a friend to tell them of them, to the great damage both of their fame and fortune. --Bacon. 2. pl. (Law) The estimated reparation in money for detriment or injury sustained; a compensation, recompense, or satisfaction to one party, for a wrong or injury actually done to him by another. Note: In common-law action, the jury are the proper judges of damages. Consequential damage. See under Consequential. Exemplary damages (Law), damages imposed by way of example to others. Nominal damages (Law), those given for a violation of a right where no actual loss has accrued. Vindictive damages, those given specially for the punishment of the wrongdoer. Syn: Mischief; injury; harm; hurt; detriment; evil; ill. See Mischief.
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