✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

I'll be darned

idiom

chiefly US, informal
used to show that one is very surprised about something
Well I'll be darned! You actually showed up!
often + if
I offered to help, but I'll be darned if she didn't do the whole thing herself.
sometimes shortened to darned if
I told them they wouldn't enjoy the trip but darned if they didn't come anyway.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“I'll be darned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/I%27ll%20be%20darned. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!