deed
Americannoun
-
deeds
plural
-
something that is done, performed, or accomplished; an act.
Do a good deed every day.
-
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.
-
Law. a writing or document executed under seal and delivered to effect a conveyance, especially of real estate.
verb (used with object)
-
deeds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deeded,
past participle, past
-
deeding
present participle
noun
-
something that is done or performed; act
-
a notable achievement; feat; exploit
-
action or performance, as opposed to words
-
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
-
deedsimple
-
deedssimple
-
have deededperfect
-
has deededperfect
-
am deedingprogressive
-
are deedingprogressive
-
is deedingprogressive
-
have been deedingperfect progressive
-
has been deedingperfect progressive
Past
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Back-Words: Palindromes
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Monkey's Paw," Vocabulary from the short story
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
"But the takeaway is that it's been very successful and I think the King has demonstrated his statecraft both by word and deed."
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
"The way this deed was committed makes this case unusual, as well as the manner of the confession," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 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
Every deed and flood map, every blue dot on every phone originates from it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Would she understand that Raymie had just been trying to do a good deed?
From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo
They also reported suspicious real estate transactions by Von Ferdinand, including quick deeds to himself for all three of Jett’s properties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
You also have a lot of assets — property and retirement funds — that should have listed beneficiaries and transfer-on-death deeds.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
According to one present, the prime minister said: "We need to be on the front foot. We need to be bolder. Let's get on and do things. It's about deeds not words."
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 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
Ours is but a small matter in the great deeds of this time.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Keys come with deeded ownership to a sliver of non-buildable beachfront; they often stay in the same family for generations, though a handful sell on the open market each year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
If this property is indeed still titled in your parents’ names, and was never actually deeded to the trust, it could still be a probate asset under the executor’s control.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 30, 2026
Shortly before her death in 1944, Betty deeded the ranch to the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2025
He actually deeded it over to his brother who lives in South Carolina.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2023
Lillian spoke of the Old South when Bull was in earshot as though it were a private garden deeded to her in a last heroic proclamation by the Confederate Congress.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
“I’m wondering, have you ever planned on deeding any of your personal property or property of the Smithsonian to any of these tribes?” he asked Hartig.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
I settled my father’s estate, but found a will deeding a mobile home to his stepson.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 7, 2026
Many people spoke against the general idea of deeding public property to private interests, though none called for the statue’s removal.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 22, 2022
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
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
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
