tarnation
noun
tar·na·tion
ˌtär-ˈnā-shən 
: damnation
—often used as an interjection or intensive —often used with in
tarnation strike me—
James Joyce
James Joycewhere in tarnation you from?—Jessamyn West
Jessamyn WestExamples of tarnation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Drat and tarnation!
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023
But now, a problem — what in tarnation is all this stuff, these weird terms and phrases being bandied about?
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2022
What in the wide tarnation is better on a winter’s day than the smell of something sweet baking in your oven?
—James P. Dewan, chicagotribune.com, 13 Dec. 2017
The last thing Iowa needs is for its defense to run all over tarnation for 30 minutes while the offense stumbles.
—Scott Dochterman, ajc, 15 Sep. 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Erik Kain, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023
But now, a problem — what in tarnation is all this stuff, these weird terms and phrases being bandied about?
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2022
What in the wide tarnation is better on a winter’s day than the smell of something sweet baking in your oven?
—James P. Dewan, chicagotribune.com, 13 Dec. 2017
The last thing Iowa needs is for its defense to run all over tarnation for 30 minutes while the offense stumbles.
—Scott Dochterman, ajc, 15 Sep. 2017
Dictionary Entries Near tarnation
Cite this Entry
“Tarnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarnation. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share