darn

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled derned

US /dɑrn/ UK /dɑːn/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to mend a hole by interweaving thread; a mild oath

She sat by the fire to darn the worn socks.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to mend a hole by... mend repair patch sew stitch

Opposites

tear rip

Word family

Derived forms darningdarneddarner

Simplified etymology

Darn has been used since the 18th century as a less offensive substitute for damn, created to avoid profanity.

Etymology

The mending sense is from the 16th century, of uncertain origin, perhaps from dialectal English 'dern' ('to hide, mend'); the interjection is a euphemistic alteration of 'damn'.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# darn

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɑrn/
**IPA (UK):** /dɑːn/

## Meanings
1. to mend a hole by interweaving thread; a mild oath

## Examples
- She sat by the fire to darn the worn socks.

## Synonyms
- mend
- repair
- patch
- sew
- stitch

## Antonyms
- tear
- rip

## Derived Forms
- darning
- darned
- darner

## Etymology
The mending sense is from the 16th century, of uncertain origin, perhaps from dialectal English 'dern' ('to hide, mend'); the interjection is a euphemistic alteration of 'damn'.

## AI Etymology
For darn, the mending sense is from the 16th century, of uncertain origin, perhaps from dialectal English 'dern' ('to hide, mend'); the interjection is a euphemistic alteration of 'damn'. In present use as verb and interjection, it means "to mend a hole by interweaving thread; a mild oath", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Because the origin is uncertain, the safest account is descriptive: the attested senses can be explained, but the ultimate formation remains unresolved. Derived forms include darning, darned, and darner.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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