Phrase guide

damned if one does and damned if one doesn't

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Of a situation where either choice results in a negative outcome.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, informal, not-comparable

Examples

  • If John leaves for New York to follow his career, his father will disinherit him. He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
  • Damned if I do and damned if I don't.
  • Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: tiel aĉe, kaj tiel malbone — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Finnish: pulassa joka tapauksessa — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Finnish: kusessa joka tapauksessa — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • French: c'est un choix cornélien — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • French: quoi que je fasse, ce n'est jamais bon — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • French: la peste ou le choléra — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • French: on est perdant dans tous les cas — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Hungarian: melyik ujjamat harapjam (meg/le) — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Hungarian: melyik ujjamba harapjak (bele) — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Hungarian: ha van rajtad sapka, az a baj, ha nincs, akkor az — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Hungarian: egyik kutya, másik eb — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Italian: fa' così e non va bene, fa' cosà e non va bene uguale — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Italian: comunque ti giri, sbagli — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Italian: dove ti giri ti giri, sbagli — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Polish: i tak źle, i tak niedobrze — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Portuguese: se correr o bicho pega, se ficar o bicho come — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Russian: куда́ ни кинь, всю́ду клин (kudá ni kinʹ, vsjúdu klin) — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Spanish: palos porque bogas, palos porque no bogas — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Tagalog: sala sa init, sala sa lamig — dilemma with bad outcomes
  • Turkish: aşağı tükürsen sakal, yukarı tükürsen bıyık — dilemma with bad outcomes