Meanings
alternative damned if one does, and damned if one doesn't · alternative one's damned if one does and one's damned if one doesn't · alternative one's damned if one does, and one's damned if one doesn't
- idiomaticinformalnot comparableOf a situation where either choice results in a negative outcome.
Damned if I do and damned if I don't.
3 more examples
You can and you can't—You shall and you shan't—You will and you won't—And you will be damned if you do—And you will be damned if you don't.
1836, Lorenzo Dow, Reflections on the Love of God (1836), ch. 6, p. 30 (on the doctrine of Particular Election)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 you do and damned if you don't.
Synonyms & antonyms
Translations
Esperanto tiel aĉe, kaj tiel malbone
- tiel aĉe, kaj tiel malbonedilemma with bad outcomes
Finnish pulassa joka tapauksessa, kusessa joka tapauksessa
- pulassa joka tapauksessadilemma with bad outcomes
- kusessa joka tapauksessadilemma with bad outcomes
French c'est un choix cornélien, quoi que je fasse, ce n'est jamais bon
- c'est un choix cornéliendilemma with bad outcomes
- quoi que je fasse, ce n'est jamais bondilemma with bad outcomes
- la peste ou le choléradilemma with bad outcomes
- on est perdant dans tous les casdilemma with bad outcomes
Hungarian melyik ujjamat harapjam (meg/le), melyik ujjamba harapjak (bele)
- melyik ujjamat harapjam (meg/le)dilemma with bad outcomes
- melyik ujjamba harapjak (bele)dilemma with bad outcomes
- ha van rajtad sapka, az a baj, ha nincs, akkor azdilemma with bad outcomes
- egyik kutya, másik ebdilemma with bad outcomes
Italian fa' così e non va bene, fa' cosà e non va bene uguale, comunque ti giri, sbagli
- fa' così e non va bene, fa' cosà e non va bene ugualedilemma with bad outcomes
- comunque ti giri, sbaglidilemma with bad outcomes
- dove ti giri ti giri, sbaglidilemma with bad outcomes
Polish i tak źle, i tak niedobrze
- i tak źle, i tak niedobrzedilemma with bad outcomes
Portuguese se correr o bicho pega, se ficar o bicho come
- se correr o bicho pega, se ficar o bicho comedilemma with bad outcomes
Russian куда́ ни кинь, всю́ду клин
- куда́ ни кинь, всю́ду клин (kudá ni kinʹ, vsjúdu klin)dilemma with bad outcomes
Spanish palos porque bogas, palos porque no bogas
- palos porque bogas, palos porque no bogasdilemma with bad outcomes
Tagalog sala sa init, sala sa lamig
- sala sa init, sala sa lamigdilemma with bad outcomes
Turkish aşağı tükürsen sakal, yukarı tükürsen bıyık
- aşağı tükürsen sakal, yukarı tükürsen bıyıkdilemma with bad outcomes
Cite this entry
damned if one does and damned if one doesn't. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/damned%20if%20one%20does%20and%20damned%20if%20one%20doesn't
“damned if one does and damned if one doesn't.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/damned%20if%20one%20does%20and%20damned%20if%20one%20doesn't. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “damned if one does and damned if one doesn't,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/damned%20if%20one%20does%20and%20damned%20if%20one%20doesn't.
Source: damned if one does and damned if one doesn't on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.