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:
"I'd rather see a whale fart in the wild than do a triple backflip in a tank," he says.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
They do a ZIP Code analysis of where existing clients live and where e-commerce clients seem clustered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
"As a society, we should look at where we are failing our children, and what we can do to keep a closer eye on them and what they're doing."
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Geese were always an odd band to pin to anxieties about fabricated culture — if a label had resources and abilities to manufacture stars, why not do it for a 100x-hyperscaling pop act instead?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Water for you,” I call, trying to lighten the mood, “land for Father. Maybe horses for me? What do you think, Caesar? Like you said, Midnight gave me his heart.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
"You have to sort of understand that structure in order to do it successfully. And it's just not what we do. It's not the way our brains think about stories," Joel explained.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“I don’t know how to describe it, but filmmaking became a religion, as opposed to something that I could do. It fused with me.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
“I do. I do, I do. I think she deserves the chance to do it. And I hope she takes advantage of that chance and does it.”
From Slate ● Sep. 25, 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
“Dancing, you know, the kind you kids do. And he likes to drum.”
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
"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
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
“The D.O. has published dozens of columns and letters to the editor from liberal and conservative writers alike. We aren’t afraid of controversial views, but we have a responsibility to avoid promoting harmful ones.”
From Washington Times ● Jun. 11, 2020
The novel is a delirious smoothie of cultural influences and tributes, from Kurosawa films to superhero comics to the seminal work of the 1930s Nigerian writer D.O.
From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2019
This class of melancholy feelings should be battled with by the D.O. with all his might, for if allowed to run their course the result will be not only depression, but despair, and perhaps desertion.
From The Authoritative Life of General William Booth by George S. (George Scott) Railton
There’s a neon-yellow China Airlines collaboration with the North Face and a square black Singapore Airlines pouch that comes with a Lalique candle and a warning: DO NOT USE IN AIRCRAFT.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
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
"This executive order is wrong. The President does not have the expertise to make these changes. Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines DO NOT cause autism," Cassidy said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
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
But you DO make your family feel better.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
Everyone has sartorial do’s and don’ts for the office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
On ICYMI, host Kate Lindsay and Slate tech editor Tony Ho Tran break down the digital do’s and don’ts for couples, and argue that the thing that ruined dating might actually be making relationships better.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 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
“Den y’all go out do’s a while,” she said.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
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 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
Claudiane Pereira dos Santos, 50, a cleaner, welcomes the tourist "frenzy."
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
There had been some hope that João Lourenço, who in 2017 took over as president from José Eduardo dos Santos, 36 years in power, would change things.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2025
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 it does is restore the brand halo at the top of the market,” he wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
How does the data centre plan fit into the global debate around data centres?
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The market does not ring a bell at the bottom.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
It does not scorn God or faith, but the misuse of both by petty manipulators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
So Maggie really does not want to go to the cellar.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
“We need to learn and improve. We did not do everything perfectly,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
“I think we did. We did much more than we promised.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
When he did, it was always with her.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
This one did something else, reaching extreme heights but never achieving the sustained success of more entrenched conspiracy theories.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
The impossible boy made a sound like puppies did when they got very excited.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
It has done ads for Virgin and Toys R Us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
And if this relationship-building is done well, when the inheritance inevitably leads to disagreement, at least the people sitting across the table won’t feel like strangers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
"Don't be expecting this mad expansive style of free-for-all but we're going to put some stuff in there that we've not done previously."
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Policymakers have to decide whether the forecast comes from the policy committee or is done by the staff, and to what degree the forecast is based on judgment versus models.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
I hadn’t done Stray Cat prep, since his appearance was a surprise.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
He also ruled out doing a TV series, despite serving as an executive producer on the long-running "Fargo" television adaptation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
It says she made numerous efforts to contact counsel at the start of the search, but the agents prevented her from doing so for more than an hour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
“There is video all over showcasing the madness, chaos, the unprofessionalism of what this is doing to our communities,” Padilla said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
"But start by choosing one thing and doing it really well – and that's got to be decent match coverage."
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
“But what is she doing, still in my home?” he puzzled aloud.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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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.
