damnedest

noun

damned·​est ˈdam-dəst How to pronounce damnedest (audio)
variants or damndest
: utmost, best
used chiefly in the phrase do one's damnedest
doing my damnedest to win

Examples of damnedest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Over the years, Exodus Cry has done their damnedest to separate itself from IHOPKC. Cherie Deville, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2023 Zakhar Perez, who is technically supposed to be the main character, tries his damnedest to elevate his performance above Hallmark levels, but is immediately surpassed by Galitzine at every turn. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2023 Moving parallel to them, detectives Seo Mun-chun (Kim Won-hae) and Lee Hong-sae (Hong Kyung) try their damnedest to connect the murders San-yeong’s ghostly self leaves in her wake. Geoffrey Bunting, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2023 Cue the predictable mayhem, with the production designers and special effects people doing their damnedest to recreate the thrills and chills of the venerable theme-park attraction. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 July 2023 Human explorers are doing their damnedest to expand our species’ influence to every corner of the globe, from the highest peaks to the ocean floor. Ryan Huling, Wired, 21 Jan. 2020 Heck, even West Virginia has such a law, and that state’s been doing its damnedest to displace Mississippi as 50th in Everything. al, 1 Oct. 2019 Ever since Captain America went *back* into the ice, Waid’s run has been a bit bizarre, but with first Chris Samnee and now artists who are doing their damnedest to make the run visually consistent, the art has been stellar. Will Nevin, OregonLive.com, 7 May 2018 For as long as she's been in the public eye, Tyra Banks has been open and vulnerable about what goes on behind the scenes in the modeling world — and has done her damnedest to change it. refinery29.com, 28 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'damnedest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of damnedest was in 1827

Dictionary Entries Near damnedest

Cite this Entry

“Damnedest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damnedest. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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