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Prepositions after adjectives

Damn about, near, for, to, or as?

Damn appears in several informal expressions, but only some combinations are standard. The meaning changes depending on the structure.

Quick answer

Which combinations with damn are natural?

Not give a damn about is a common idiom meaning not care. Damn near means almost. Damn for, damn to, and damn as are not standard adjective-preposition patterns in modern English.

I don't give a damn about the argument.
We were damn near late for the flight.
She was damned for her honesty.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
give a damn about + topic

Expressing lack of concern

This informal idiom means to care or not care about something.

He doesn't give a damn about office gossip.
They never gave a damn about the criticism.
2
damn near + adjective/number

Meaning almost

Damn near is an informal American English expression meaning nearly or almost.

The bag weighed damn near twenty kilos.
We were damn near exhausted after the hike.
3
damned for + action

Appearing in passive expressions

Damned for appears in expressions about criticism or punishment. Here damned is a past participle adjective.

He was damned for telling the truth.
She felt damned for making a small mistake.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
damn about
I don't give a damn about the result.
standard informal idiom about caring
damn near
We were damn near frozen.
informal expression meaning almost
damn for
He was damned for speaking out.
possible with damned in passive-style expressions, not with plain damn
damn to
They were damn to fail.
not standard modern English
damn as
He used damn as an insult.
as introduces function; it is not a fixed pattern after damn

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using damn to

Damn to is not a natural modern adjective pattern.

✕ They are damn to lose. ✓ They are doomed to lose.

Confusing damn and damned

Damned is usually needed in passive-style expressions.

✕ He was damn for his comments. ✓ He was damned for his comments.

Using damn near in formal writing

Damn near is strongly informal.

✕ The project was damn near complete. ✓ The project was nearly complete.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. I don't give a damn ___ their opinion.
2. We were ___ ready to cancel the trip.
3. He was damned ___ questioning the decision.

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Frequently asked questions

Is damn near rude?

It is informal and mildly offensive in some situations.

Can damn be an adjective?

Yes, especially in informal speech, but many expressions use damned instead.

What does not give a damn mean?

It means not to care at all about something.

daily, for, daily, with, daily, in damaging to, for, of, in or as? "dangerous for" or "dangerous to"? "dark in", "dark for" or "dark of"? "daunting for" or "daunting to"? dead in, on, by, at or of? deadly to, in, for, of or with? "deaf to" or "deaf in"? dear to, in, for, of or as? deceased in, to, for, at or on? "decent in" or "decent for"? "decisive in" or "decisive for"?

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