darned 1 of 2

variants also durned
Definition of darnednext

darned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of darn
as in stitched
to close up with a series of interlacing stitches in the old days, holes in socks had to be darned by hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of darned
Adjective
The first revelation was apparently fine, but her mom blamed those darned permissive Jesuits at Holy Cross for the second. Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 13 Dec. 2025 Within days, the magic of agricultural alchemy will turn it all into the best darned fertilizer since God invented the chicken. Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Dec. 2025 Let’s cruise another groomer and try to remember how to make a gosh darned turn. Frederick Dreier, Outside, 2 Dec. 2025 An allied assertion is that if AI generates foul code, tell the AI to get its act together and fix the darned stuff. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 America’s sweetheart doesn’t need any more good press from anyone—I’d bet my fortune that she could be elected Queen of Tennessee, Constitution-be-darned, if elections were held today. Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
Verb
More holes had been worn through the holes that had been darned. Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025 The Triumph was, and still is, honest, authentic, and darned-near bulletproof. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 29 Aug. 2025 That would be a ripe spot to declare that the AI isn’t of professional quality and make darned sure to remove any wording that suggests otherwise. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darned
Adjective
  • Pair the fuzzy crewneck top and subtle kick-flare pants with chic platform sneakers or breathable, on-trend Mary Janes (this pair from Rothy’s is so freaking comfortable).
    Annie Blackman, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026
  • For context, a McLaren 765LT supercar only beats that by two feet, and that has a freaking air brake.
    Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Hand-stitched and overly plush, the front is made from a cotton and linen blend, while the reverse side is 100% cotton.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The international nonprofit’s mission is to promote the art quilt as a creative visual work that is layered and stitched with a vision that the art quilt be universally respected as a fine art medium.
    Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • But an item that rare bookseller Peter Harrington brings to the fair holds the answers to the amount of mist, the size and shape of the castle, and much of the cursed landscape in the Kurosawa adaptation of The Scottish Play.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Every Brilliant Thing, by the way, stars Daniel Radcliffe, filmdom’s not-so-cursed Harry Potter himself.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The surgeon sutured the wounds but knew the arm would have to be amputated.
    Sarah El Deeb, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The travelogue portion of Walking the Bypass is sutured, sometimes maladroitly, to a history of the Crown’s abuses of Indigenous peoples.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Just get the darn curler and invoke Hathor!
    Fiona Landers, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Helles Real won this whole darn thing in 2023, so that 2 seed is well-earned.
    Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Preservationists say the building remains a civic landmark and should be repaired rather than demolished.
    Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Kansas City launched a pilot program last fall with Neighborhood Legal Support to identify dangerous homes that could be repaired and preserved as affordable housing, building on the organization’s ongoing legal work to that end.
    Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • My reaction was silence and determination to make sure common sense prevailed to make sure her senior son, Jake, a top pitcher who transferred from Palm Desert to Rancho Christian, had this continuing stress resolved after an already awful ordeal engulfed him and his parents for months.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
  • The bullpen…what are the Texas Rangers going to do about another potentially awful bullpen?
    Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • So many terrible things happen that the reader develops a kind of flinch, bracing for the next calamity whenever there is a brief lull in the misery.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
  • My actions were selfish; my actions were terrible.
    Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Darned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darned. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

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