Dang

/dæŋ/

interjectionBeginner📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

1

Used to express annoyance, mild anger, surprise, or disappointment.

/dæŋ/

interjectionnegativeBeginner
General

Expressing mild annoyance, surprise, or frustration.

Dang, that was close!

💡 Simply: It's like a softer way to say 'oh no!' or 'shoot!' when something goes wrong or surprises you. Like when you spill your juice, you might say, 'Dang it!'

👶 For kids: A word you say when you're a little bit mad or surprised, but not too mad.

More Examples

2

Dang, I wish I had known about this earlier.

3

Dang it, I missed the bus!

How It's Used

Everyday conversation

"Dang, I forgot to set my alarm!"

Informal situations

"Dang it, the internet is down again!"

Idioms & expressions

Dang it!

An exclamation of frustration, annoyance, or exasperation.

"Dang it! I dropped my phone."

A euphemism for "damn", arising in the 19th century. It serves as a less offensive alternative to expressing annoyance or frustration.

The use of 'dang' as a euphemism emerged in the 19th century as a way to avoid using stronger expletives.

Memory tip

Think of it as a watered-down version of 'damn'.

Word Origin

LanguageUnknown
Original meaning

"Euphemism for a stronger expression"

Base: dang
dang itsay dang

Common misspellings

darndangit

Usage

90%Spoken
10%Written