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Green’s Dictionary of Slang

damn adv.

also dam

a general intensifier, very, very much, completely.

1785		‘Peter Pindar’ ‘Lousiad’ Works (1794) I 275: Jack Wilkes, too, be a dam, dam uglish name.
1843		T. Haliburton Sam Slick in England I 119: Hit or miss, rough or tumble [...] any way, you damn please, I’m your man.
1853		S. Northup Twelve Years A Slave 220: Old black Dan, as black as tar, / He dam glad he was not dar.
1864		in T.P. Lowry Stories the Soldiers Wouldn’t Tell (1994) 41: I will do as I damn please.
1877		Dodge City Times (KS) 17 Nov. 8/2: Hand over that money d—n quick.
1898		H. Macfall Wooings of Jezebel Pettyfer 322: I call dat a dam-silly story.
1908		‘O. Henry’ ‘The Memento’ in Voice of the City (1915) 243: You’re damn right.
1915		‘Ian Hay’ First Hundred Thousand (1918) 101: Dam pretty girl lives in that house, old man!
1923		‘Sapper’ Jim Maitland (1953) 118: Don’t you think, Dick, that that radiographer was just a little too damn foolish to be quite genuine?
1934		E. Hemingway letter 18 Jan. in Baker Sel. Letters (1981) 403: Your jig cartoonist-artist is damn good. Absolutely first rate.
1938		G. Kersh Night and the City 120: I’ll bump you off if you’re not damn careful.
1952		J. Jones From Here to Eternity (1998) 190: I can always tell a good man when I see one. Stark’ll make me one damn fine cook.
1966		P. Willmott Adolescent Boys of East London (1969) 93: You’ve got a good brain, you’re damn lazy, bone idle.
1981		S. Berkoff Decadence in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 29: He was so damn black.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 4: What’s so damn hilarious, handsome?
2000		Indep. on Sun. Travel 9 Jan. 5: I took it upon myself to give Florida’s locals a damn good British hiding.
2012		interview on BBC World Service 10 Sept. [radio program] I was damn happy.

In compounds

damn well (adv.)

see separate entry.

In exclamations

damn straight! (also damn skipping!) [straight adj.¹]

(orig. US black) a general excl. of enthusiastic affirmation, absolutely! undoubtedly!

1964		R.D. Abrahams Deep Down in the Jungle 199: ‘Sure, what time you want me to come by? I’ll be the fuck around three. [sic] God damn straight, I'll be there’ .
1972		T. O’Brien If I Die in a Combat Zone (1980) 15: ‘Damn straight [...]’ Bates said.
1973		Chopper Mag. Jan. 4/1: Damned straight. Gotta be Stone Age.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 137: Damn straight they care.
1989		(con. 1968) W.E. Merritt Where the Rivers Ran Backward 260: ‘You was there!’ ‘Damn straight.’.
1990		Eble Campus Sl. Oct. 2: damn skipping – expression of strong agreement.
1995		C. Hiaasen Stormy Weather 180: ‘So you shot a hole in the ceiling.’ ‘Damn straight.’.
1999		J. Poller Reach 143: Damn straight.
2000		P. Temple Dead Point (2008) [ebook] ‘I’m dyin...’ ‘Damn straght,’ said Cam.
2000		G. Pelecanos Shame the Devil 82: ‘Meet me at my place later?’ ‘Want me to?’ ‘Damn straight.’.
2000		T. Udo Vatican Bloodbath 80: Damn fucken straight you don’t, muthafucka!
2003		T. Dorsey Stingray Shuffle 160: Damn straight we’re Bad Company!
2013		T. Robinson Hard Bounce [ebook] ‘You’ve thought about this [i.e. a major payoff] before, haven’t you?’ ‘Damn straight’.
2020		(con. 1991-94) W. Boyle City of Margins 98: ‘That’s the guy who punched you?’ she asks. ‘Damn straight’.