To condemn someone. To damn someone means they are being condemned to Hell.

In some forms of Western Christian belief, damnation to hell is the punishment of God for persons with unredeemed sin.

I hate to be the one to tell you but dam in is not a swear word.. Damn is...from Damnation..

Damn: c.1280, "to condemn," from O.Fr. damner, derivative of L. noun damnare, from damnum "damage, loss, hurt." Latin word evolved a legal meaning of "pronounce judgment upon." Theological sense is first recorded c.1325; the optative expletive use likely is as old. To be not worth a damn is from 1817. Damn Yankee, characteristic Southern U.S. term for "Northerner," is attested from 1812. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=damn "Damnation" (or, more commonly, "damn", or "goddamn") is widely used as a moderate profanity, which originated as such from the concept of punishment by God. Until around the mid-20th century, damn was a more offensive term than it is today, and was frequently represented as "D--n," "D---," or abbreviated to just "D." Its Proto-Indo-European language origin is usually said to be a root dap-, which appears in Latin and Greek words meaning "feast" and "expense". (The connection is that feasts tend to be expensive.) In Latin this root provided a theorized early Latin noun *dapnom, which became Classical Latin damnum = "damage" or "expense". But there is a Vedic Sanskrit root dabh or dambh = "harm". The word damnum did not have exclusively religious overtones. From it in English came "condemn"; "damnified" (an obsolete adjective meaning "damaged"); "damage" (via French from Latin damnaticum). It began to be used for being found guilty in a court of law; but, for example, an early French treaty called the Strasbourg Oaths includes the Latin phrase in damno sit = "would cause harm". From the judicial meaning came the religious meaning. "Damn" is a mildly profane word used in North America while cursing or swearing. The use of "damn" in Rhett Butler's parting line to Scarlett O'Hara in the film Gone with the Wind in 1939 captivated moviegoers with "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." "God damn" is usually seen as more profane than simply "damn", and in present-day radio or television broadcasts, the word "God" is usually censored or blurred, leaving "damn" uncensored. In the USA, "damn" is also commonly used as an exclamation when an extremely attractive person or object of approval is located; e.g. "Damn, he/she is fine" or perhaps "Damn, he has a nice car!". "Hot damn" may be used similarly, but it is somewhat distinct; for example, if one says, "Joe just won the lottery," a response of "Damn!" on its own indicates disapproval, but "Hot damn!" indicates approval or surprise. "Damned" is also used as an adjective synonymous with "annoying" or "uncooperative," or as a means of giving emphasis. For example, "The damned furnace is not working again!" or, "I did wash the damned car!" or, "The damned dog won't stop barking!" In the South West of England, the phrase "Damnit Liv" grew in popularity in early 2007 as a term of intense frustration or to express extreme anger at a situation that presents itself, this colloquial use of the phrase gained such popularity it has been listed in slang dictionaries[1] and printed on t-shirts to express continual ironic damnation of a situation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damn_%28obscenity%29#Profane_language damn-, demn- (Latin: to harm, damage, loss; sentence to punishment, doom; worthy of condemnation). http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/list/D/1 used to express annoyance: used emphatically or as a swearword to express annoyance, disappointment, or frustration with somebody or something ( informal ) ( sometimes considered offensive ) verb (past and past participle damned, present participle damn·ing, 3rd person present singular damns) 1. transitive verb say somebody or something is bad: to express disapproval of somebody or something, especially in public 2. transitive verb doom somebody or something to failure: to cause somebody or something to fail 3. transitive verb condemn somebody to hell: in Christian belief, to condemn somebody to hell or to eternal punishment 4. transitive and intransitive verb swear at somebody or something: to curse or swear at somebody or something, using the word "damn" [13th century. Via Old French damner "condemn" < Latin damnare< damnum "damage"] http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861602500 —v.t. 1. to declare (something) to be bad, unfit, invalid, or illegal. 2. to condemn as a failure: to damn a play. 3. to bring condemnation upon; ruin. 4. to doom to eternal punishment or condemn to hell. 5. to swear at or curse, using the word “damn”: Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead! —v.i. 1. to use the word “damn”; swear. 2. damn with faint praise, to praise so moderately as, in effect, to condemn: The critic damned the opera with faint praise when he termed the production adequate. —interj. (used as an expletive to express anger, annoyance, disgust, etc.) —n. 1. the utterance of “damn” in swearing or for emphasis. 2. something of negligible value: not worth a damn. 3. give a damn, Informal.to care; be concerned; consider as important: You shouldn't give a damn about their opinions. Also,give a darn. —adj. damned (defs. 2, 3). —adv. 1. damned. 2. damn well, Informal.See damned (def. 7). http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/damn damn someone/something with faint praise to praise something or someone in such a weak way that it is obvious you do not really admire them. "She damned Reynolds with faint praise, calling him one of the best imitators in the world." not give a damn (informal) to not be interested in or worried about something or someone. He can think what he likes. "I don't give a damn. Most companies don't give a damn about the environment." (often + about) "I've made my decision and I don't give a damn what they think." (often + question word) damn it this is very annoying. No, damn it, you wait a minute. I was thinking, God damn it, the man said he'd write, so why doesn't he send me a letter? Usage notes: sometimes spelled dammit: But, dammit, what did she expect me to do? worth a damn to have value. Kids in this city aren't getting an education that's worth a damn. I haven't asked enough people for my research to be worth a tinker's damn, but everyone I've talked to thinks it's a good idea. http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/damn Not worth a tinker’s damn is a phrase that is often uttered, although most people who say it nowadays have no idea what a tinker is. There is also considerable confusion over the word damn in this phrase, which is often misspelled "dam". http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/comments/tinkers_damn/

A damn was a small Indian coin, worth very little. That's where we got, "Not worth a damn."

Damn is a curse word in the way it is used. Ass is a curse word in the way it is used. Some words are out and out curse words because they serve no other purpose like sh*t, f**k, etc. But if you use it to attack or "curse" another then it is a curse word. For instance: Say Ass to describe a donkey then it is not but to say "hey nice ass or you are such an ass" then you are cursing. Same with damn. Say I damn you to rot in hell you are condemning them. But to say Damn it to hell you have cursed.