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
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.
In mid-air, Levi and Lucas did their damnedest to save Ofelia’s leg. Charlie Mason, TVLine, 24 Oct. 2024 There are spurts of entertainment to be found, and the game cast tries their damnedest to marry the scene-to-scene mood swings. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 July 2024 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

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 3 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on damnedest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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