damning
/ˈdæmɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb
damning is spelled D-A-M-N-I-N-G: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, damning means “Condemning; (often) sufficient to defeat a political or commercial rival” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in damning?
| Letters | 7: D-A-M-N-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,362nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is damning?
Damning appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce damning?
- /ˈdæmɪŋ/
Damning has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Words people confuse with damning
Sounds like: damming (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of damning
- more damning comparative
- most damning superlative
- damnings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does damning mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Condemning; (often) sufficient to defeat a political or commercial rival.
damning evidence was clear for all to see
noun
- 1
A condemnation.
- 2
An act of swearing with the word "damn".
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of damn
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Damning in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | accablant |
| German | kondemnierend, vernichtend, missbilligend, missfällig , Kondemnation, Ächtung |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does damning come from?
From Middle English dampnynge; equivalent to damn + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).