Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive & intransitive verb To damn.
  • interjection & noun Damn.
  • adverb & adjective Damned.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • A minced oath, used imperatively, equivalent to darn as a euphemism for damn.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Informal Damned; confounded; -- used as an expression of displeasure.
  • transitive verb Informal Damn; -- used to express displeasure or annoyance.
  • adverb Informal Damned; darned; -- used as an informal intensifier.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective US Euphemism for goddamned.
  • interjection US Euphemism for goddamn; an expression of anger or annoyance.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Alteration of Scots dagone, alteration of goddamn.]

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Examples

  • "Democrat energy solutions have basically been a lot like those newfangled curlicue light bulbs," she complained, calling the doggone things "too expensive."

    The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - washingtonpost.com 2011

  • I'm quite certain that you connect with the white, white, orange-slice bringin ', church-never-missin', "doggone" sayin ', soccerhockeyfootballmomn' moms and dads, and their moms and dads.

    C. Brian Smith: Sarah Palin, the Average American 2009

  • Hopefully, Fey will lampoon all that "doggone" notecard reading on tomorrow's show.

    Obama's Lead Keeps Growing In Tracking Polls 2009

  • So for as friendly and as folksy and as "doggone" cute as Sarah Palin was in the debate tonight, she just reminded me why I don't want her as Vice President.

    Pam Atherton: I Want A VP Who Is Smarter Than Me 2008

  • And speaking of doggone, Brian Schweitzer dropped a "doggone" into a radio interview with national talk show host Glenn Beck last week.

    Archive 2005-10-01 David 2005

  • Schweitzer's discussion of coal liquefaction on Thursday just about charmed the pants off Beck, who was particularly struck by Schweitzer's "doggone" terminology and used it half-a-dozen times in the next 5 or 10 minutes.

    Archive 2005-10-01 David 2005

  • Schweitzer's discussion of coal liquefaction on Thursday just about charmed the pants off Beck, who was particularly struck by Schweitzer's "doggone" terminology and used it half-a-dozen times in the next 5 or 10 minutes.

    Doggone it David 2005

  • And speaking of doggone, Brian Schweitzer dropped a "doggone" into a radio interview with national talk show host Glenn Beck last week.

    Doggone it David 2005

  • And Garver used "doggone" when quoted after he screwed up his finance report.

    Doggone it David 2005

  • Jim heard a low-breathed "doggone" and then she turned and saw him.

    Tales of the Jazz Age 1918

Comments

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  • "Are you a god or a doggone clod?" Joyce, Ulysses, 15

    January 1, 2008