Meaning & use
darn things
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformal
A mild exclamation of irritation or frustration, used when something is annoying or goes wrong.
Grammar: Used as a standalone interjection, often at the start of a sentence: Darn things! I forgot my keys again.
Darn things! The printer is jammed again.
Darn things, I can never remember where I put my glasses.
Darn things! I missed the bus by one minute.
phrasepluralinformal
Used to refer to objects or people in a mildly annoyed way, meaning 'annoying things'.
Grammar: Functions as a noun phrase; can be the subject or object of a sentence.
Patterns
- these darn things
- those darn things
These darn things keep breaking every time I use them.
I wish those darn things would stop beeping.
He spent all morning fixing those darn things.
Common combinations
- darn things
- Darn things! I can't get this lid off.
- these darn things
- These darn things are so hard to open.
- those darn things
- I told him to throw those darn things away.
Synonyms and how they differ
- darn it
- A similar mild exclamation, but 'darn it' is a fixed phrase and doesn't refer to objects.
- dang things
- A very close variant, slightly more American and informal.
Word family
Commonly confused: darn things or damn things?
darn things vs damn things
Stronger and often considered offensive; 'darn' is a mild substitute.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'darn things' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Darn things' is an informal exclamation or noun phrase, not a verb. Option 1 shows it as an exclamation, which fits. The others wrongly use it as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “darn things”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.