Synonyms

don't

American

[dohnt] / doʊnt /

verb

contraction of do not.
Nonstandard except in some dialects. contraction of does not.

noun

don'ts, customs, rules, or regulations that forbid something.

The boss has a long list of don'ts that you had better observe if you want a promotion.

don't British

/ dəʊnt /

contraction

do not

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of don't

First recorded in 1600–10

Compare meaning

How does dont compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

don't vs. doesn't

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“We don’t have the infrastructure. Everything has been done on the fly.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

"I don't regret anything," Infantino said when asked about the World Cup being held by the United States.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Still, don’t count on gold to always find support from changes in the geopolitical landscape.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

“I don’t think this is it,” Jack whispers to Ma on his final trip to the shed, which seems to have mysteriously shrunk from the place he remembers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

“Look, I don’t want to be in your stupid club. Get over it,” I reply harshly.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023