do
verb (used with object)
to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.).
do
1 American
[doo, doo, duh]
/ du, dʊ, də /
verb (used with object)
-
does,
present (3rd person singular)
-
did,
past
-
done,
past participle
-
doing
present participle
-
to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.).
Do nothing until you hear the bell.
- Synonyms:
- act
-
to execute (a piece or amount of work).
to do a hauling job.
-
to accomplish; finish; complete.
He has already done his homework.
-
to put forth; exert.
Do your best.
-
to be the cause of (good, harm, credit, etc.); bring about; effect.
-
to render, give, or pay (homage, justice, etc.).
-
to deal with, fix, clean, arrange, move, etc., (anything) as the case may require.
to do the dishes.
-
to travel; traverse.
We did 30 miles today.
-
to serve; suffice for.
This will do us for the present.
-
to condone or approve, as by custom or practice.
That sort of thing simply isn't done.
-
to travel at the rate of (a specified speed).
He was doing 80 when they arrested him.
-
to make or prepare.
I'll do the salad.
-
to serve (a term of time) in prison, or, sometimes, in office.
-
to create, form, or bring into being.
She does wonderful oil portraits.
-
to translate into or change the form or language of.
MGM did the book into a movie.
-
to study or work at or in the field of.
I have to do my math tonight.
-
to explore or travel through as a sightseer.
They did Greece in three weeks.
-
(used with a pronoun, as it or that, or with a general noun, as thing, that refers to a previously mentioned action).
You were supposed to write thank-you letters; do it before tomorrow, please.
-
Informal. to wear out; exhaust; tire.
That last set of tennis did me.
-
Informal. to cheat, trick, or take advantage of.
That crooked dealer did him for $500 at poker.
-
Informal. to attend or participate in.
Let's do lunch next week.
-
Slang. to use (a drug or drugs), especially habitually.
The police report said he was doing cocaine.
-
Slang. to rob; steal from.
The law got him for doing a lot of banks.
-
Slang: Vulgar. to have sex with.
-
Informal. (usually in the negative) to act in accordance with expectations associated with (something specified).
Just ignore her insults—she doesn’t do polite.
verb (used without object)
-
does,
present (3rd person singular)
-
did,
past
-
done,
past participle
-
doing
present participle
-
to act or conduct oneself; be in action; behave.
-
to proceed.
to do wisely.
-
to get along; fare; manage.
to do without an automobile.
-
to be in health, as specified.
Mother and child are doing fine.
-
to serve or be satisfactory, as for the purpose; be enough; suffice.
Will this do?
-
to finish or be finished.
-
to happen; take place; transpire.
What's doing at the office?
-
(used as a substitute to avoid repetition of a verb or full verb expression).
I think as you do.
auxiliary verb
-
does,
present (3rd person singular)
-
did,
past
-
done,
past participle
-
doing
present participle
-
(used in interrogative, negative, and inverted constructions).
Do you like music? I don't care. Seldom do we witness such catastrophes.
-
Archaic. (used in imperatives with you or thou expressed; and occasionally as a metric filler in verse).
Do thou hasten to the king's side. The wind did blow, the rain did fall.
-
(used to lend emphasis to a principal verb).
Do visit us!
noun
-
dos,
plural
-
do's
plural
-
Informal. a burst of frenzied activity; action; commotion.
-
Informal. a hairdo or hair styling.
-
British Slang. a swindle; hoax.
-
Informal. a festive social gathering; party.
verb phrase
-
do without
-
to forgo; dispense with.
-
to dispense with the thing mentioned.
The store doesn't have any, so you'll have to do without.
-
-
do in
-
to kill, especially to murder.
-
to injure gravely or exhaust; wear out; ruin.
The tropical climate did them in.
-
to cheat or swindle.
He was done in by an unscrupulous broker.
-
-
do up
-
to wrap and tie up.
-
to pin up or arrange (the hair).
-
to renovate; launder; clean.
-
to wear out; tire.
-
to fasten.
Do up your coat.
-
to dress.
The children were all done up in funny costumes.
-
-
do for
-
to cause the defeat, ruin, or death of.
-
Chiefly British. to cook and keep house for; manage or provide for.
-
-
do over to redecorate.
-
do with to gain advantage or benefit from; make use of.
I could do with more leisure time.
-
do by to deal with; treat.
He had always done well by his family.
idioms
-
do time, to serve a term in prison.
It's hard to get a decent job once you've done time.
-
dos and don'ts, customs, rules, or regulations.
The dos and don'ts of polite manners are easy to learn.
-
do one's (own) thing. thing.
-
do a number on (someone). number.
-
have to do with. have.
-
do one's number. number.
-
do away with,
-
to put an end to; abolish.
-
to kill.
-
-
do or die, to make a supreme effort.
-
make do, to get along with what is at hand, despite its inadequacy.
I can't afford a new coat so I have to make do with this one.
-
do one proud. proud.
-
do to death. death.
-
do out of, to swindle; cheat.
A furniture store did me out of several hundred dollars.
do
2
American
[doh]
/ doʊ /
noun
Music.
-
dos
plural
-
the syllable used for the first tone or keynote of a diatonic scale.
-
(in the fixed system of solmization) the tone C.
do.
3
American
abbreviation
D/O
4
American
Or
d.o.
D.O.
5
American
Or
DO
do
1
British
/ duː, də, dʊ /
verb
-
to perform or complete (a deed or action)
to do a portrait
the work is done
-
to serve the needs of; be suitable for (a person, situation, etc); suffice
there isn't much food, but it'll do for the two of us
-
(tr) to arrange or fix
you should do the garden now
-
(tr) to prepare or provide; serve
this restaurant doesn't do lunch on Sundays
-
(tr) to make tidy, elegant, ready, etc, as by arranging or adorning
to do one's hair
-
(tr) to improve (esp in the phrase do something to or for )
-
(tr) to find an answer to (a problem or puzzle)
-
(tr) to translate or adapt the form or language of
the book was done into a play
-
(intr) to conduct oneself
do as you please
-
(intr) to fare or manage
how are you doing these days?
-
(tr) to cause or produce
complaints do nothing to help
-
(tr) to give or render
your portrait doesn't do you justice
do me a favour
-
(tr) to work at, esp as a course of study or a profession
he is doing chemistry
what do you do for a living?
-
(tr) to perform (a play, etc); act
they are doing ``Hamlet'' next week
-
(tr) to travel at a specified speed, esp as a maximum
this car will do 120 mph
-
(tr) to travel or traverse (a distance)
we did 15 miles on our walk
-
(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary before the subject of an interrogative sentence as a way of forming a question
do you agree?
when did John go out?
-
(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary to intensify positive statements and commands
I do like your new house
do hurry!
-
(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary before a negative adverb to form negative statements or commands
he does not like cheese
do not leave me here alone!
-
(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary in inverted constructions
little did he realize that
only rarely does he come in before ten o'clock
-
used as an auxiliary to replace an earlier verb or verb phrase to avoid repetition
he likes you as much as I do
-
informal (tr) to visit or explore as a sightseer or tourist
to do Westminster Abbey
-
(tr) to wear out; exhaust
-
(intr) to happen (esp in the phrase nothing doing )
-
slang (tr) to serve (a period of time) as a prison sentence
he's doing three years for burglary
he's doing time
-
informal (tr) to cheat or swindle
-
slang (tr) to rob
they did three shops last night
-
slang (tr)
-
to arrest
-
to convict of a crime
-
-
informal (tr) to lose or spend (money) completely
-
slang (tr) to treat violently; assault
-
slang (tr) to take or use (a drug)
-
taboo (tr) (of a male) to have sexual intercourse with
-
(tr) to partake in (a meal)
let's do lunch
-
informal to act like; imitate
he's a good mimic – he can do all his friends well
-
to make a final or supreme effort
-
a conventional formula when being introduced
-
to manage with whatever is available
noun
-
slang an act or instance of cheating or swindling
-
informal a formal or festive gathering; party
-
informal those things that should or should not be done; rules
DO
2
British
abbreviation
-
Doctor of Optometry
-
Doctor of Osteopathy
D/O
3
British
abbreviation
do
4
British
/ dəʊ /
noun
do
5
British
abbreviation
do.
6
British
abbreviation
Synonym Usage
Do, accomplish, achieve mean to bring some action to a conclusion. Do is the general word: He did a great deal of hard work. Accomplish and achieve both connote successful completion of an undertaking. Accomplish emphasizes attaining a desired goal through effort, skill, and perseverance: to accomplish what one has hoped for. Achieve emphasizes accomplishing something important, excellent, or great: to achieve a major breakthrough.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dosimple
-
doessimple
-
have doneperfect
-
has doneperfect
-
am doingprogressive
-
are doingprogressive
-
is doingprogressive
-
have been doingperfect progressive
-
has been doingperfect progressive
Past
-
didsimple
-
had doneperfect
-
was doingprogressive
-
were doingprogressive
-
had been doingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of do1
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English dōn; cognate with Dutch doen, German tun; akin to Latin -dere “to put,” facere “to make, do,” Greek tithénai “to set, put,” Sanskrit dadhāti “(he) puts”
Origin of do2
First recorded in 1745–55; from Italian, inverted variant of ut; see origin at gamut
Explanation
To do is to act, perform, or undertake. When you do chores, you engage in the activity of cleaning the kitchen or taking out the trash. Do is one of the most frequently used verbs in English. You do many things in a typical day: you might do the dishes, do your job, and later on, do your taxes. If you meet an old-fashioned gentleman, he might say, "How do you do?" essentially meaning, "Hello." After a difficult test, your friend could ask, "How did you do?" You can also do as you please, or just do nothing all day long.
Vocabulary lists containing do
Scrabble: Two-Letter Words
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Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 3
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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:
But what do you do when your child doesn't get an invitation?
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
"It was very much like David and Goliath, I was the little one fighting the big company," said Watson, adding that under the code, he felt there was "nothing he can do".
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Even if it has as much to do with reality as “Andor.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
“And what are they going to do fix it? We continue to find it difficult to hone in on the specifics for these important questions.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
I do a few finger warm-ups so my muscles are nice and relaxed.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
"To him, it's he's just doing what boys should do. Getting out and having fun," added Daniel.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
“There could be some things they do. But thus far, at least, it has not been major.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
“I went home and I was like, Oh, they’ve already done all the things I want to do. So I just went and sulked for a few days.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
“But we are not looking for people to be pen pals, which seems to be what everybody wants to do. We need real help.”
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
“That will have to do. First you must find Old Timothy, the enigmatic coachman from Ashton Place.”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
"Robotic-assisted surgery has the potential to change the way surgeons think about revision knee replacement," said Matthew Bullock, D.O., associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and co-author on the study.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 17, 2024
But the dance instructor has a TikTok following of his own, and the D.O. is also a Lululemon ambassador.
From New York Times ● Oct. 27, 2021
Yet each year thousands of graduates emerge from medical schools with a virtually useless M.D. or D.O.; without residency experience, they do not qualify for licensure in any state.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2021
“But what keeps me wanting to be a journalist and wanting to do it here is seeing the effect that the D.O. has. It’s really cool and exciting.”
From Washington Times ● Nov. 4, 2019
The D.O. must see that his Officers possess, and live in, the spirit of The Army.
From The Authoritative Life of General William Booth by George S. (George Scott) Railton
Florida Senator Rick Scott encouraged residents in designated areas to evacuate as soon as possible, as he warned in a social media post: "DO NOT WAIT! Get out NOW!"
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Images of Air Force One parked at the Turkish airport show vehicles labeled with the logo of a catering company called Turkish DO & CO.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Watch what we DO, not what we SAY.”
From Barron's ● Dec. 8, 2025
I DO press the tea bag to extract more "oomph" from it and this is a big no-no for some who believe it will make your tea bitter.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2024
How do I deal with the fact that I DO need them to get ahead without feeling like I'm turning my back on my own people?
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
Everyone has sartorial do’s and don’ts for work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Across schools, the bigger fix would be more precision from administrators on AI do’s and don’ts, Anand said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
"Did she think she had the right to do that? Did her production team tell her what the do's and don'ts were?"
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026
The DMA is part of the European Union's bolstered legal armoury that seeks to make the digital sphere fairer with a list of do's and don'ts for Big Tech.
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025
Occasionally, during a general conversation about do’s and don’t’s, I would share some information that I thought would be helpful to them, but otherwise I kept my mouth shut.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
The nearly 20-acre property is located near Angra dos Reis, a coastal region around two hours from Rio de Janeiro.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
The helicopters collided in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, a western suburb of Rio de Janeiro, then plummeted into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, setting ablaze around 20 cars, firefighters said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
Fabricio Ramos dos Santos is a lawyer, entrepreneur and sports investor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
The researchers are now testing moringa seed extract on water collected from the Paraíba do Sul River, which supplies São José dos Campos.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 20, 2026
There was no use in standing around for a long farewell and a list of dos and don’ts.
From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia
What does Gillis have, besides a large audience of followers and a Netflix show, that others who’ve never hosted the show don’t?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
I am not entirely sure the headphones do a lot to add to the experience, but the sound design by the Ringhams has an impressive precision, as does the shadowy lighting design by Ben Jacobs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The free portion of Boldin does not simulate Roth conversion activity — you have to pay for that level of analysis.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
I am saying something that does not require a conspiracy at all.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026
Why does he have to be so vigilant about schoolwork?
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Asked about Eve Appeal and Hertility's cases, Meta did not comment specifically, but said it allows women's health content on its platforms, and is consulting with women's health organisations to improve systems.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Bajaria did not return a request for comment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
If older people did it at the same age and still do it, the only thing that changed is who is complaining.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Trump has described Zacharia as an “attorney,” as did chyrons for TV appearances that Zacharia amplified on social media, CNN reports.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
The house looks just like it did in my Flash.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
“I pour my whole body into what I do. And if it cannot be done that way, I simply won’t do it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
"I was told if you come out with this, your career is done," she told the court.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
While its market cap has fallen closer to earth from its post-IPO peak, that has done little to diminish endowments’ returns because of how hugely its valuation soared in recent years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
That is not to say that you’ve done it perfectly, because there are thousands of decisions to make along the way and not all of them can be absolutely optimal.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
Clare was both completely unprepared and completely unready to be done.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
"He said 'you're going to feel very silly while you're doing these scenes, but if you commit to it, it's going to look really sick'. And I can confirm, he was right," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Walmart is doing well relative to that cohort, and it isn’t alone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
“I would love to just be doing stories about Frankenstein, but there are very real monsters that walk among us,” Palek added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
In a Suffolk University poll in September, some 56 percent of voters said he was doing an “excellent” or “good” job, and another 17 percent rated him “fair.”
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
I saw me doing a man’s work on a crew of men who’d logged all winter.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
