Goddamning

/ɡɑˈdæmnɪŋ/ verb

Definition

The present participle of 'goddamn,' meaning to curse or condemn something with emphatic language invoking God.

Etymology

From Middle English 'goddamnen,' combining 'god' (Old English) and 'damn' (from Old French damner, from Latin damnare). The -ing suffix marks the continuous or gerund form of the verb.

Kelly Says

While 'goddamn' became more common in English around the 1600s-1700s, it actually earned the wrath of language authorities—some printers would censure it as 'G-d--n,' showing how powerful certain word combinations become in a culture.

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