# damned if I know

> English word · Interjection

## Definitions
1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see damned, if, I, know.
2. Used in response to a question in which the target person absolutely does not know the answer.

## Etymology
Ellipsis of I'll be damned if I know, alluding to the certainty and affirmation that the one making the statement does not know.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/damned-if-i-know