Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DAMN, v.t. [L. damno; Fr. damner; Arm. dauna; It. dannare; Sp. dañar; Port. danar. The Portuguese word is rendered to hurt, to damnify, to corrupt or spoil, to undo or ruin, to bend, to crook, to make mad. The latter sense would seem to be from the L. demens, and damnum is by Varro referred to demendo, demo, which is supposed to be a compound of de and emo. But qu., for damno and condemno coincide with the English doom.]

1. To sentence to eternal torments in a future state; to punish in hell. He that believeth not shall be damned. – Mark xvi.
2. To condemn; to decide to be wrong or worthy of punishment; to censure; to reprobate. He that doubteth is damned if he eat. – Rom. xiv.
3. To condemn; to explode; to decide to be bad, mean, or displeasing by hissing or any mark of disapprobation; as, to damn a play, or a mean author.
4. A word used in profaneness; a term of execration.