do
verb (used with object)
to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.).
do
1 American
[doo, doo, duh]
/ du, dʊ, də /
verb (used with object)
-
does,
present (3rd person singular)
-
did,
past
-
done,
past participle
-
doing
present participle
-
to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.).
Do nothing until you hear the bell.
- Synonyms:
- act
-
to execute (a piece or amount of work).
to do a hauling job.
-
to accomplish; finish; complete.
He has already done his homework.
-
to put forth; exert.
Do your best.
-
to be the cause of (good, harm, credit, etc.); bring about; effect.
-
to render, give, or pay (homage, justice, etc.).
-
to deal with, fix, clean, arrange, move, etc., (anything) as the case may require.
to do the dishes.
-
to travel; traverse.
We did 30 miles today.
-
to serve; suffice for.
This will do us for the present.
-
to condone or approve, as by custom or practice.
That sort of thing simply isn't done.
-
to travel at the rate of (a specified speed).
He was doing 80 when they arrested him.
-
to make or prepare.
I'll do the salad.
-
to serve (a term of time) in prison, or, sometimes, in office.
-
to create, form, or bring into being.
She does wonderful oil portraits.
-
to translate into or change the form or language of.
MGM did the book into a movie.
-
to study or work at or in the field of.
I have to do my math tonight.
-
to explore or travel through as a sightseer.
They did Greece in three weeks.
-
(used with a pronoun, as it or that, or with a general noun, as thing, that refers to a previously mentioned action).
You were supposed to write thank-you letters; do it before tomorrow, please.
-
Informal. to wear out; exhaust; tire.
That last set of tennis did me.
-
Informal. to cheat, trick, or take advantage of.
That crooked dealer did him for $500 at poker.
-
Informal. to attend or participate in.
Let's do lunch next week.
-
Slang. to use (a drug or drugs), especially habitually.
The police report said he was doing cocaine.
-
Slang. to rob; steal from.
The law got him for doing a lot of banks.
-
Slang: Vulgar. to have sex with.
-
Informal. (usually in the negative) to act in accordance with expectations associated with (something specified).
Just ignore her insults—she doesn’t do polite.
verb (used without object)
-
does,
present (3rd person singular)
-
did,
past
-
done,
past participle
-
doing
present participle
-
to act or conduct oneself; be in action; behave.
-
to proceed.
to do wisely.
-
to get along; fare; manage.
to do without an automobile.
-
to be in health, as specified.
Mother and child are doing fine.
-
to serve or be satisfactory, as for the purpose; be enough; suffice.
Will this do?
-
to finish or be finished.
-
to happen; take place; transpire.
What's doing at the office?
-
(used as a substitute to avoid repetition of a verb or full verb expression).
I think as you do.
auxiliary verb
-
does,
present (3rd person singular)
-
did,
past
-
done,
past participle
-
doing
present participle
-
(used in interrogative, negative, and inverted constructions).
Do you like music? I don't care. Seldom do we witness such catastrophes.
-
Archaic. (used in imperatives with you or thou expressed; and occasionally as a metric filler in verse).
Do thou hasten to the king's side. The wind did blow, the rain did fall.
-
(used to lend emphasis to a principal verb).
Do visit us!
noun
-
dos,
plural
-
do's
plural
-
Informal. a burst of frenzied activity; action; commotion.
-
Informal. a hairdo or hair styling.
-
British Slang. a swindle; hoax.
-
Informal. a festive social gathering; party.
verb phrase
-
do without
-
to forgo; dispense with.
-
to dispense with the thing mentioned.
The store doesn't have any, so you'll have to do without.
-
-
do in
-
to kill, especially to murder.
-
to injure gravely or exhaust; wear out; ruin.
The tropical climate did them in.
-
to cheat or swindle.
He was done in by an unscrupulous broker.
-
-
do up
-
to wrap and tie up.
-
to pin up or arrange (the hair).
-
to renovate; launder; clean.
-
to wear out; tire.
-
to fasten.
Do up your coat.
-
to dress.
The children were all done up in funny costumes.
-
-
do for
-
to cause the defeat, ruin, or death of.
-
Chiefly British. to cook and keep house for; manage or provide for.
-
-
do over to redecorate.
-
do with to gain advantage or benefit from; make use of.
I could do with more leisure time.
-
do by to deal with; treat.
He had always done well by his family.
idioms
-
do time, to serve a term in prison.
It's hard to get a decent job once you've done time.
-
dos and don'ts, customs, rules, or regulations.
The dos and don'ts of polite manners are easy to learn.
-
do one's (own) thing. thing.
-
do a number on (someone). number.
-
have to do with. have.
-
do one's number. number.
-
do away with,
-
to put an end to; abolish.
-
to kill.
-
-
do or die, to make a supreme effort.
-
make do, to get along with what is at hand, despite its inadequacy.
I can't afford a new coat so I have to make do with this one.
-
do one proud. proud.
-
do to death. death.
-
do out of, to swindle; cheat.
A furniture store did me out of several hundred dollars.
do
2
American
[doh]
/ doʊ /
noun
Music.
-
dos
plural
-
the syllable used for the first tone or keynote of a diatonic scale.
-
(in the fixed system of solmization) the tone C.
do.
3
American
abbreviation
D/O
4
American
Or
d.o.
D.O.
5
American
Or
DO
do
1
British
/ duː, də, dʊ /
verb
-
to perform or complete (a deed or action)
to do a portrait
the work is done
-
to serve the needs of; be suitable for (a person, situation, etc); suffice
there isn't much food, but it'll do for the two of us
-
(tr) to arrange or fix
you should do the garden now
-
(tr) to prepare or provide; serve
this restaurant doesn't do lunch on Sundays
-
(tr) to make tidy, elegant, ready, etc, as by arranging or adorning
to do one's hair
-
(tr) to improve (esp in the phrase do something to or for )
-
(tr) to find an answer to (a problem or puzzle)
-
(tr) to translate or adapt the form or language of
the book was done into a play
-
(intr) to conduct oneself
do as you please
-
(intr) to fare or manage
how are you doing these days?
-
(tr) to cause or produce
complaints do nothing to help
-
(tr) to give or render
your portrait doesn't do you justice
do me a favour
-
(tr) to work at, esp as a course of study or a profession
he is doing chemistry
what do you do for a living?
-
(tr) to perform (a play, etc); act
they are doing ``Hamlet'' next week
-
(tr) to travel at a specified speed, esp as a maximum
this car will do 120 mph
-
(tr) to travel or traverse (a distance)
we did 15 miles on our walk
-
(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary before the subject of an interrogative sentence as a way of forming a question
do you agree?
when did John go out?
-
(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary to intensify positive statements and commands
I do like your new house
do hurry!
-
(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary before a negative adverb to form negative statements or commands
he does not like cheese
do not leave me here alone!
-
(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary in inverted constructions
little did he realize that
only rarely does he come in before ten o'clock
-
used as an auxiliary to replace an earlier verb or verb phrase to avoid repetition
he likes you as much as I do
-
informal (tr) to visit or explore as a sightseer or tourist
to do Westminster Abbey
-
(tr) to wear out; exhaust
-
(intr) to happen (esp in the phrase nothing doing )
-
slang (tr) to serve (a period of time) as a prison sentence
he's doing three years for burglary
he's doing time
-
informal (tr) to cheat or swindle
-
slang (tr) to rob
they did three shops last night
-
slang (tr)
-
to arrest
-
to convict of a crime
-
-
informal (tr) to lose or spend (money) completely
-
slang (tr) to treat violently; assault
-
slang (tr) to take or use (a drug)
-
taboo (tr) (of a male) to have sexual intercourse with
-
(tr) to partake in (a meal)
let's do lunch
-
informal to act like; imitate
he's a good mimic – he can do all his friends well
-
to make a final or supreme effort
-
a conventional formula when being introduced
-
to manage with whatever is available
noun
-
slang an act or instance of cheating or swindling
-
informal a formal or festive gathering; party
-
informal those things that should or should not be done; rules
DO
2
British
abbreviation
-
Doctor of Optometry
-
Doctor of Osteopathy
D/O
3
British
abbreviation
do
4
British
/ dəʊ /
noun
do
5
British
abbreviation
do.
6
British
abbreviation
Synonym Usage
Do, accomplish, achieve mean to bring some action to a conclusion. Do is the general word: He did a great deal of hard work. Accomplish and achieve both connote successful completion of an undertaking. Accomplish emphasizes attaining a desired goal through effort, skill, and perseverance: to accomplish what one has hoped for. Achieve emphasizes accomplishing something important, excellent, or great: to achieve a major breakthrough.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dosimple
-
doessimple
-
have doneperfect
-
has doneperfect
-
am doingprogressive
-
are doingprogressive
-
is doingprogressive
-
have been doingperfect progressive
-
has been doingperfect progressive
Past
-
didsimple
-
had doneperfect
-
was doingprogressive
-
were doingprogressive
-
had been doingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of do1
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English dōn; cognate with Dutch doen, German tun; akin to Latin -dere “to put,” facere “to make, do,” Greek tithénai “to set, put,” Sanskrit dadhāti “(he) puts”
Origin of do2
First recorded in 1745–55; from Italian, inverted variant of ut; see origin at gamut
Explanation
To do is to act, perform, or undertake. When you do chores, you engage in the activity of cleaning the kitchen or taking out the trash. Do is one of the most frequently used verbs in English. You do many things in a typical day: you might do the dishes, do your job, and later on, do your taxes. If you meet an old-fashioned gentleman, he might say, "How do you do?" essentially meaning, "Hello." After a difficult test, your friend could ask, "How did you do?" You can also do as you please, or just do nothing all day long.
Vocabulary lists containing do
Scrabble: Two-Letter Words
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Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 3
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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.
See Examples For:
Her second album, “Bewitched,” was soon to be released and she wanted to do something big to celebrate it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
"We showed our level today. We're showed we're ready. We're serious and we want to do it again."
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
After health problems forced my eldest sister into a nursing home recently, I thought about what I could do to make her feel more settled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Much as we respect that with great power comes great responsibility, it’s a lot dreamier to imagine what we could do with all that might if it were simply handed to us.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
“Did you help my mom learn how to do that?”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
“I really do. Everybody’s always said, ‘No, no.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Quantum will solve problems that traditional compute takes too long to do. And that AI can’t really do,” Wilson, Allstate’s Chair, President and CEO, told me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“They’re switching to what they maybe think they can do. He switched to being an activist, is basically what it sounds like.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
“Just one step. That’s all you have to do. Just one step forward,” Woods said on Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
“Perhaps very few humans know why. But some creatures do. We sphinxes take in news from everything—the ratatoskas, the stars, the naiads and dryads and nereids. Even the manticores.”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
"Robotic-assisted surgery has the potential to change the way surgeons think about revision knee replacement," said Matthew Bullock, D.O., associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and co-author on the study.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 17, 2024
Robertson touts the transition as a way to follow the industry by going more digital, and the D.O. has an active web site and social media presence.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 4, 2019
It’s a “delirious smoothie of cultural influences and tributes, from Kurosawa films to superhero comics to the seminal work of the 1930s Nigerian writer D.O. Fagunwa,” writes critic Laura Miller.
From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2019
“My son and I jumped back from the window as trees started flying. Glass was shattered. In a moment it was over,” Eastside resident D.O.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 19, 2018
The D.O. is also responsible for the improvement of the gifts of his Officers and of their efficiency for the work they have in hand.
From The Authoritative Life of General William Booth by George S. (George Scott) Railton
Images of Air Force One parked at the Turkish airport show vehicles labeled with the logo of a catering company called Turkish DO & CO.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
"This executive order is wrong. The President does not have the expertise to make these changes. Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines DO NOT cause autism," Cassidy said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
The website can also be used by people to note that they expressly DO wish to be a donor.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2025
“If you receive one of these citations, DO NOT scan the QR code, and report it to the Alhambra PD Traffic Section at 626-570-5119,” the police department wrote on social media.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2024
How do I deal with the fact that I DO need them to get ahead without feeling like I'm turning my back on my own people?
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
Everyone has sartorial do’s and don’ts for work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
On ICYMI, host Kate Lindsay and Slate tech editor Tony Ho Tran break down the digital do’s and don’ts for couples, and argue that the thing that ruined dating might actually be making relationships better.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
The DMA comes with a list of do's and don'ts for the world's biggest digital platforms in an attempt to keep them in check and create an open online space.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Across schools, the bigger fix would be more precision from administrators on AI do’s and don’ts, Anand said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
Occasionally, during a general conversation about do’s and don’t’s, I would share some information that I thought would be helpful to them, but otherwise I kept my mouth shut.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Fabricio Ramos dos Santos is a lawyer, entrepreneur and sports investor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
The researchers are now testing moringa seed extract on water collected from the Paraíba do Sul River, which supplies São José dos Campos.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 20, 2026
Yet tourists might find themselves entirely alone at Cromeleque dos Almendres which along with the smaller and less-visited Cromeleque de Vale Maria do Meio are mysterious mini-Stonehenge circles of planted stone monoliths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Claudiane Pereira dos Santos, 50, a cleaner, welcomes the tourist "frenzy."
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
I did not want to find out the hard way the dos and don’ts of kittens.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
It said a referral does not necessarily mean a garda or gardaí have been accused of wrongdoing.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Leave college, keep the network: “Not once” does Guo say she wished she’d taken more courses at Carnegie Mellon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
According to the researchers, this finding does not directly prove that digoxin is effective.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
“We have the ability to accept costs because our resources are great. Iran does not, because theirs are few,” said Barry Posen, a political science professor at MIT.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
I think she’d have the same fire in her eye that Harriet Tubman does in the few pictures I’ve seen of her.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
“I did not give my consent to any Trustee of my Trust to withhold, defer, or retain my Age-30 Distribution indefinitely,” Reiner said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Posting on social media, Mcallister said Scott, from Elgin, had become unsteady due to his medication and the heat, and did not have his phone or wallet with him.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
I did fine, but no one really listened.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The more surprising story isn’t what’s happening in the world’s most important crude chokepoint — it’s why the oil market no longer seems to care as much as it did just a few months ago.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
“So… why did you show it to me?”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
But Behrens Wu said she realized she needed to hire smart people who had been there and done that.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Though she described the settlement as a done deal, she obliquely suggested changes might still be afoot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
"But I stand here as a man proud of what I've done, proud of where I came from and proud where this will take me. To all the fans who doubt me, I'll be back."
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Hundreds of others, armed with mats, tents and pillows, had done the same.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
“First, your grandmother has the nerve to take you on some out-of-state field trip, without asking me. When I demand an explanation, all she says is ‘It had to be done.’
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Fed ‘forward guidance’ was supposed to encourage transparency, but it ended up doing real damage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
All it’s been doing is serving an oppressive, jumbo-sized reminder every time Betts goes to bat of how un-Mookie-Betts-like he’s been for much of this season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Think of it instead as a very light weekend project, the kind you can tend occasionally while doing something else nearby.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Down the street at D’s Thirsty Beaver bar, Danielle Rees is doing a test run on serving breakfast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The schoolchildren were utterly amazed by the elephant, and they loved to watch Karli doing his juggling tricks too.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
