can-do

[ kan-doo ]

/ ˈkænˈdu /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR can-do ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective Informal.

marked by purposefulness and efficiency: a can-do executive.

noun

the quality of being efficient and enthusiastic.

Nearby words

can't see the forest for the trees, can't seem to, can't stand, can't wait, can-can, can-do, can-opener, can-tho, can., cana, canaan

Origin of can-do

First recorded in 1900–05

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for can-do

We all know a few Elizabeth Banks—people who cruise through life at a steady clip of can-do energy.
Where's Your Willpower?|Casey Schwartz|November 24, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Why is our can-do country, tied at inception to the pursuit of happiness, so reliably interested in visions of its own demise?
A Great Dystopian Novel|Taylor Antrim|March 30, 2010|DAILY BEAST
I argued he should be moved over to a political adviser slot, where his considerable, can-do talents would better serve his boss.
Rumbling Over Rahm|Leslie H. Gelb|February 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
On the other end of the phone was my Grandma Rose, a can-do matriarch calling from her home on Avenue U, six blocks away.
My Man Crush on JFK, Jr.|Mark Katz|July 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST

Americans are can-do people who will quickly fix their problems if allowed to do so in a rational context.
Stop the Bailout: Four Better Alternatives|Alan Quasha|March 11, 2009|DAILY BEAST
A tug, the Gando, immediately re-named the Can-do, brought out our lighters of coal.
The Bonadventure|Edmund Blunden

British Dictionary definitions for can-do

can-do

adjective

confident and resourceful in the face of challengesa can-do attitude

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