do-gooding

American  

[doo-good-ing] / ˈduˌgʊd ɪŋ /

noun

1. earnestly doing good; focusing on humanitarian causes in a naive and often ineffectual way.

---

Etymology

Origin of do-gooding

First recorded in 1935–40; do ¹ ( def. ) + good ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

The Sith are the malevolent enemies of the do-gooding Jedi.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 27, 2023

Just as most fairy tales are derived from darker, grimmer backstories, however, bird feeding, also, isn’t entirely innocent do-gooding for our feathered friends.

From Slate • Dec. 6, 2022

And you can bet it feels cold despite all that warmhearted global do-gooding they say they are doing.

From Washington Post • Jun. 11, 2022

The do-gooding hero is also keen for riches and fame, and he’s not subtle about it.

From New York Times • Aug. 3, 2018

"Not to society or the world, but how we see ourselves — like, as do-gooding people, are we really just doing things to feel good about ourselves?"

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2017