Darn
/dɑːrn/noun
A mild exclamation used to express annoyance, surprise, or emphasis; also a verb meaning to mend a hole in fabric.
Did you know?“Darn” is a euphemistic replacement for a stronger oath, and English has a long history of turning blasphemy into safer-sounding words to preserve the force while avoiding the taboo.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dher-
“to hold firmly, support, make firm”
Latin
Latin
discernere
“to separate, distinguish”
Old French
Old French
desrenier / desrner
“to mend, repair”
Middle English
English
dernen / darnen
“to mend (cloth) by hand with stitches”
18th–19th Century
English
darn
“a softened substitute for a stronger oath or exclamation”
Modern English
English
darn
“an exclamation of annoyance or emphasis; also to mend fabric”