Damns
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: /dæmz/
Definitions
- Utters an angry or frustrated expression about something ; shows care or concern for a person or thing ; declares something morally wrong or doomed
- Exclaims in a way that reveals irritation or displeasure ; attaches significance to someone or something ; pronounces a curse or judgment of condemnation
- Uses strong language to express annoyance ; invests importance or interest in a subject ; communicates strong disapproval or damnation
Etymology: "Damns" is the third-person singular form of the verb "damn," so its history is that of the verb itself. The verb descends from Latin "damnāre," meaning "to condemn" or "to inflict loss upon," itself built on "damnum," "loss." That Latin sense of loss survives in the word's legal and religious flavour: to damn someone was to pronounce a sentence against them, a judgment that cost them something real. The word reached English in Middle English as "dampnen," having passed through Old French "damner." Over the centuries the solemn sense of condemnation, a sentence handed down by a court or by God, loosened into the casual oath we now use for exasperation. The modern meanings still preserve the original shape: to damn a thing is to declare it doomed, and to damn something in anger is to express a wish that it be condemned.
Synonyms: condemns, curses, criticizes, denounces, blames
Antonyms: blesses, absolves, praises, forgives, supports