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• how do you do
  how do you do

  interjection

  (used as a conventional greeting.)
• how-do-you-do
  how-do-you-do

  noun

  a greeting; salutation.
• how do you do?
  how do you do?

  A conventional greeting used mostly after being introduced to someone, as in And this is our youngest—say “How do you do” to Mr. Smith. Although it is a question, it requires no reply. Originally, in the 1600s, this expression was an inquiry after a person's health or standing, how do you do meaning “how do you fare?” Today we usually express this as How are you? or How are you doing? or How goes it? or How's it going? Even more general are the slangy locutions How are things? or How's tricks? All of these greetings date from the first half of the 1900s.

how do you do

¹ American  

interjection

1. (used as a conventional greeting.)

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how-do-you-do ² American  

[hou-duh-yuh-doo] / ˈhaʊ də yəˈdu /

Also how-de-do

noun

Informal.

plural

how-do-you-dos

1. a greeting; salutation.

   She smiled and gave him a how-do-you-do fit for a king.

2. an awkward or unpleasant event or situation.

   It's a fine how-do-you-do that they've refused to help us out.

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how do you do British  

1. Also: how do?.   how d'ye do?.  a formal greeting said by people who are being introduced to each other or are meeting for the first time

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noun

1. informal a difficult situation

how do you do? Idioms  

1. A conventional greeting used mostly after being introduced to someone, as in And this is our youngest—say “How do you do” to Mr. Smith. Although it is a question, it requires no reply. Originally, in the 1600s, this expression was an inquiry after a person's health or standing, how do you do meaning “how do you fare?” Today we usually express this as How are you? or How are you doing? or How goes it? or How's it going? Even more general are the slangy locutions How are things? or How's tricks? All of these greetings date from the first half of the 1900s.

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Etymology

Origin of how-do-you-do

First recorded in 1625–35

Example Sentences

How do you do that with a Light Phone?

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

“But how do you fix a crushed dream? How do you do that? That was my daughter’s dream.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2023

“It’s a question of producing more with less. How do you do that in a way that’s sustainable? How do you do that in a climate that’s changing?”

From Seattle Times • May 21, 2023

"I think we all looked at it and went, this is very timely. How do you do it right?"

From Salon • May 2, 2023

“This is my daughter, Elaine. How do you do? And this is Sir Lancelot Dulac. How do you do? All written in the stones.”

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• hello
• nod
• ovation
• reception
• salute