done

American  

[duhn] / dʌn /

verb

1. past participle of do.

2. Nonstandard. a simple past tense of do.

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auxiliary verb

1. Nonstandard: South Midland and Southern U.S. (used with a principal verb in the past or, sometimes, present tense to indicate completed action).

   I done told you so. He done eat his lunch.

adjective

1. completed; finished; through.

   Our work is done.

2. cooked sufficiently.

3. worn out; exhausted; used up.

4. in conformity with fashion, good taste, or propriety; acceptable.

   It isn't done.

idioms

1. be / have done with, to break off relations or connections with; stop.

2. done for,

   1. tired; exhausted.

   2. deprived of one's means, position, etc.

   3. dead or close to death.

3. done in, very tired; exhausted.

   He was really done in after a close race.

done British  

/ dʌn /

verb

1. the past participle of do 1

2. to end relations with

3. to be completely finished

   have you done?

4. 1. an exclamation of frustration when something is ruined

   2. an exclamation when something is completed

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interjection

1. an expression of agreement, as on the settlement of a bargain between two parties

adjective

1. completed; finished

2. cooked enough

   done to a turn

3. used up

   they had to surrender when the ammunition was done

4. socially proper or acceptable

   that isn't done in higher circles

5. informal cheated; tricked

6. informal

   1. dead or almost dead

   2. in serious difficulty

7. informal physically exhausted

done More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing done

• do
• easier said than done
• good as done
• have done (with)
• no sooner said (than done)
• not done
• over and done with
• seen one, seen them all (been there, done that)
• what's done is done
• when all's said and done

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Usage

In the adjectival sense “completed, finished, through,” done dates from the 14th century and is entirely standard: Is your portrait done yet?

Other Word Forms

• half-done adjective

Etymology

Origin of done

First recorded before 900, for the adjective

Explanation

Something that's done is finished, through, or over — it's no longer happening. If your final research paper is done, you've completed it. You might announce at your high school graduation that you're done with school, or listen to your sister practicing the drums and hope she'll be done before bedtime. When food is described as done it means "ready to eat" or "thoroughly cooked." Many Thanksgiving feasts have to wait until the turkey is done. If you're "done for" in a video game, you're just about to die — your fate is sealed.

Example Sentences

The jury previously heard evidence from Thea's paternal grandmother that Blain had told her that another child who had been in the flat had "done it".

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

In a post Friday on X, Eby called the apology “necessary, and yet grossly insufficient for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

And when a person is seen as harmful, almost anything done to him starts to feel justified.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

"I think the point of our experiment is that things can be done on a smaller scale," says Salama.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

To calm her down, I said, “You done some pretty quick thinking in there. I’ll give you credit.”

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck