deed
Americannoun
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deeds
plural
-
something that is done, performed, or accomplished; an act.
Do a good deed every day.
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an exploit or achievement; feat.
brave deeds.
-
Often deeds. an act or gesture, especially as illustrative of intentions, one's character, or the like.
Her deeds speak for themselves.
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Law. a writing or document executed under seal and delivered to effect a conveyance, especially of real estate.
verb (used with object)
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deeds,
present (3rd person singular)
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deeded,
past participle, past
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deeding
present participle
noun
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something that is done or performed; act
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a notable achievement; feat; exploit
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action or performance, as opposed to words
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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
verb
Synonym Usage
See action.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deedsimple
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deedssimple
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have deededperfect
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has deededperfect
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am deedingprogressive
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are deedingprogressive
-
is deedingprogressive
-
have been deedingperfect progressive
-
has been deedingperfect progressive
Past
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deededsimple
-
had deededperfect
-
was deedingprogressive
-
were deedingprogressive
-
had been deedingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing deed
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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Back-Words: Palindromes
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"The Monkey's Paw," Vocabulary from the short story
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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:
If you were born or adopted in Northern Ireland, external, you can either change your name by deed poll or recording a change of name in the presence of a legal representative, which costs £35.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Here are some key questions: Will your name go on the deed alone?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Caltrans staff will next record the deed transferring the title from the state of California to Kai Poma, which is expected to happen any day, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Then, once the deed was done, “I made a TikTok video where I’m like, ‘Hey, bald people, I hope you embrace me,’” Capron, 32, said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
In spite of her brave deed and fighting words, she was frightened.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
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
Hiddleston notes that “one great gift of Pompeii is that the Romans didn’t have paper, so the walls, the columns, the houses, the public buildings are covered in writing: deeds, business contracts, advertisements, gossip, doodles.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
His real-life geniality provides a stark contrast to some of his most famous roles as monstrous men committing equally hideous deeds.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
"In Gaza, even those who dedicate their lives to helping others are not spared. But good deeds cannot be killed. They live on in the hearts of the people."
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
‘We have not spoken to Haldir of our deeds or our purpose,’ said Legolas.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Each residence will also include deeded beach access, allowing homeowners to enjoy both ocean and riverfront living.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 1, 2026
Shortly before her death in 1944, Betty deeded the ranch to the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2025
The tribe was burdened with cleaning up decades of pollution before the land could be deeded into trust by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 11, 2024
He actually deeded it over to his brother who lives in South Carolina.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2023
A Boston philanthropist had deeded to Hampton Institute a former plantation named Shellbanks Farm, which served as an agricultural laboratory for Negro and Indian students at the school.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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 a leader in deeding the tribe’s first land into trust and developing a casino.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2022
Future presidents followed FDR's example by raising funds to build libraries and deeding their papers to the National Archives, a framework codified in the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 17, 2020
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 Hutchison, D. C.
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.
