deed

American  

[deed] / did /

noun

• deeds
  plural

1. 

   something that is done, performed, or accomplished; an act.

   Do a good deed every day.

2. an exploit or achievement; feat.

   brave deeds.

3. Often deeds. an act or gesture, especially as illustrative of intentions, one's character, or the like.

   Her deeds speak for themselves.

4. Law. a writing or document executed under seal and delivered to effect a conveyance, especially of real estate.

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verb (used with object)

• deeds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• deeded,
  past participle,  past
• deeding
  present participle

1. to convey or transfer by deed.

deed British  

/ diːd /

noun

1. something that is done or performed; act

2. a notable achievement; feat; exploit

3. action or performance, as opposed to words

4. law a formal legal document signed, witnessed, and delivered to effect a conveyance or transfer of property or to create a legal obligation or contract

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verb

1. (tr) to convey or transfer (property) by deed

Synonym Usage

See action.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• redeed
  verb (used with object)
• deedless
  adjective
• undeeded
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deeds
  plural

Participles

• deeding
  present
• deeded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• deed
  simple
• deeds
  simple
• have deeded
  perfect
• has deeded
  perfect
• am deeding
  progressive
• are deeding
  progressive
• is deeding
  progressive
• have been deeding
  perfect progressive
• has been deeding
  perfect progressive

Past

• deeded
  simple
• had deeded
  perfect
• was deeding
  progressive
• were deeding
  progressive
• had been deeding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will deed
  simple
• will have deeded
  perfect
• will be deeding
  progressive
• will have been deeding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of deed

before 900; Middle English dede, Old English dēd, variant of dǣd; cognate with German Tat, Gothic gadēths; see do ¹

Explanation

A deed is an action that you perform with intent, like turning in a lost wallet you find in a store. Definitely a good deed. The word deed is often used to describe acts of charity but an action doesn’t have to be good to be called a deed — people go to jail for their criminal deeds. Either way, a deed is something done on purpose. It could be difficult, as anyone who after breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend later told friends, "I did the deed," will know. An unrelated meaning of deed is a legal document that shows who owns a building or land.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deed deeds deeded deeding

An ill homeowner can file a quitclaim deed to get their name off a jointly owned property, or if they are the sole owner, they can transfer the deed to another person.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Officials contend the discrepancy between the computer count and the paper tally is “a good deed that went punished” — the result of exhausted officials being handed an extra-credit project they couldn’t quite execute.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

Alas, no good deed goes unprotested by a domestic special interest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The cheaper option is by unenrolled deed poll, which a person can do by themselves or through a private company for a fee.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Sigurd, the son of Sigmund, does the deed.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Every year new movies and TV shows dramatising Mao's life beam the message of his great deeds to public.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

Buckingham’s office is now surveying state tracts in the area and “conducting a thorough review of relevant titles and deeds to better determine the location and extent of any potential trespass,” she added.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

"Her love was obvious and was not just words, but deeds and actions that she would display every day."

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Mr. Potter is less interested combing through the Caesars’ allegedly lurid deeds than probing the workings of the state.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The inward person doth shrink and hesitate before the daunting inception of active deeds, wishing that some discouraging voice should intervene and forbid, so that no hazard might be made.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Keys come with deeded ownership to a sliver of non-buildable beachfront.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Each residence will also include deeded beach access, allowing homeowners to enjoy both ocean and riverfront living.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 1, 2026

The Brick applied and was deeded the statue, taking physical possession on Jan. 6, 2022.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026

He was sentenced to probation for four years and deeded the property back to the town in 2014.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2025

It was too bad she hadn’t made it clear that day at the store that Grandpa deeded her the furniture, too.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

I settled my father’s estate, but found a will deeding a mobile home to his stepson.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 7, 2026

His chairmanship was a capstone of a long career serving his people, particularly as a spokesperson for his tribe and point man on deeding the tribe’s first land into trust and developing a casino.

From Seattle Times ● May 30, 2022

John F. Kennedy, who swapped residences with his brother Robert in 1957, while deeding it to their father until 1965.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 30, 2021

More precisely, I thought about Lincoln signing a minor piece of legislation deeding the Yosemite Valley to the state of California.

From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2019

Well, I come back at you by deeding the Circle C to my girl and taking up the Del Oro homestead.

From Crooked Trails and Straight by D. C. Hutchison

Related Words

• accomplishment
• act
• action
• adventure
• fact
• feat
• reality
• truth