tarnation
noun
tar·na·tion
ˌtär-ˈnā-shən 
: damnation
—often used as an interjection or intensive —often used with in
tarnation strike me—
James Joyce
James Joycewhere in tarnation you from?—Jessamyn West
Jessamyn WestExamples of tarnation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Bot gets 1 point for guessing in three and another for beating me, which puts my nemesis in the lead for May at last — drat and tarnation!
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Drat and tarnation!
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023
But now, a problem — what in tarnation is all this stuff, these weird terms and phrases being bandied about?
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2022
What in the wide tarnation is better on a winter’s day than the smell of something sweet baking in your oven?
—James P. Dewan, chicagotribune.com, 13 Dec. 2017
The last thing Iowa needs is for its defense to run all over tarnation for 30 minutes while the offense stumbles.
—Scott Dochterman, ajc, 15 Sep. 2017
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Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Drat and tarnation!
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023
But now, a problem — what in tarnation is all this stuff, these weird terms and phrases being bandied about?
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2022
What in the wide tarnation is better on a winter’s day than the smell of something sweet baking in your oven?
—James P. Dewan, chicagotribune.com, 13 Dec. 2017
The last thing Iowa needs is for its defense to run all over tarnation for 30 minutes while the offense stumbles.
—Scott Dochterman, ajc, 15 Sep. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Tarnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarnation. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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