The superlative form of 'damned,' expressing the extreme or most emphatic degree; used as an intensifier in phrases like 'do one's damndest.'
From 'damn' with -ed (past participle becoming adjective) and -est (superlative suffix). This is an intensifying form that combines emphatic force with formal superlative structure.
The phrase 'do your damndest' is fascinating because it's become completely divorced from its literal meaning about damnation—now it just means 'try your absolute hardest,' showing how curses fade into general intensifiers!
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