dang meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

dang

verb

CA, US /ˈdeɪ̯ŋ/ · /ˈdæŋ/

Etymology First attested in c. 1797, a minced oath of damn.

intj

Etymology First attested in c. 1797, a minced oath of damn.

Derived terms: dang it, dang tootin', dang tooting, gall dang, goshdang, goshdangit, hot dang

adj

Etymology First attested in c. 1797, a minced oath of damn.

adv

Etymology First attested in c. 1797, a minced oath of damn.

Draining your pasta water (and reserving a bit for your pasta sauce recipe) is so dang easy with this clip-on strainer. Plus, it wastes waaay less cabinet space than a traditional colander.2024 October 8, Lauren Gruber, Megan Uy, “We Found Sooo Many Viral TikTok Items on Sale for October Prime Day”, in Cosmopolitan:

noun

Etymology First attested in c. 1797, a minced oath of damn.

Euphemistic A damn, a negligible quantity, minimal consideration.

Humorous, Rare A dam (structure placed around a body of water), used because of the homophony between dam and damn.

I don't often yell at my players or officials--I've never once thrown a chair, the best I ever did was a clipboard--and I never curse. People like to joke that I once went on vacation to the Hoover Dang.2006 October 3, Lute Olson, David Fisher, Lute!: The Seasons of My Life, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 4:
“Momma, Keisha says we have to call it the 'Hoover Dang'.” Monique laughed, and it felt good. “No, honey. You don't have to call it that.[…]2009, Chuck Holton, Melt Down, Multnomah, →ISBN, page 194:

verb

Obsolete To dash.

Till she, o'ercome with anguish, shame, and rage, Danged down to hell her loathsome carriage.(Can we date this quote?), Christopher Marlowe, Hero and Leander:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.