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:
Does this have to do with budget or personal preference?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
He says he has since changed his name on Zoom from “Jeremy Levine” to “Jeremy Levine I do not consent to transcribing or recording.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Until that inevitable conclusion, I’ll be rooting for Max Cady’s campaign against the Bowdens’ vortex of selfishness, which is entirely OK to do.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
"It has nothing to do with my previous illness or my recent surgery, it's just one of those things."
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
If this is his last week on Earth, the least I can do is be present when we’re hanging out today.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Marius has a son he no longer sees, he admitted: "I don't want to expose him to the bad things I do. I don't want him to follow in my shoes."
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
She captioned the clip, “Do I want to RV? Yes, yes I do. I’ll bring the string lights and tea!!”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
“There’s so much to do. Everyone separated. It’s beneficial to have a group text, a fellowship like this, where you can hear someone going through the same thing as you,” Singleton says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
“They think it’s a curse. But they should want to know because there’s going to be a lot you can do. I’m convinced we will be making a dent in preventing Alzheimer’s.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
“I don’t care what we have to do. We’re saving Dad and ourselves.”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
"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
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
“My son and I jumped back from the window as trees started flying. Glass was shattered. In a moment it was over,” Eastside resident D.O.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 19, 2018
Graduates earn a D.O. degree instead of the more common M.D., but are full-fledged doctors able to prescribe medication, perform surgeries and choose any specialty.
From New York Times ● Mar. 27, 2018
It is most important that the D.O. should arrange beforehand, with great care, such business as will have to be transacted.
From The Authoritative Life of General William Booth by Railton, George S. (George Scott)
“Watch what we DO, not what we SAY.”
From Barron's ● Dec. 8, 2025
The website can also be used by people to note that they expressly DO wish to be a donor.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 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
“If you receive one of these citations, DO NOT scan the QR code, and report it to the Alhambra PD Traffic Section at 626-570-5119,” the police department wrote on social media.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2024
There they sat, a big gray Erector set, now looped with yellow police ribbons that said DO NOT CROSS.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
The DMA comes with a list of do's and don'ts for the world's biggest digital platforms in an attempt to keep them in check and create an open online space.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 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
Here are some do’s and don’ts to remember when using AI for performance reviews:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
Here to break down all the do’s and don’ts of making shortcrust pastry is Bridget Vickers, senior chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education’s Los Angeles campus.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2025
It also indicates plurals of words: What are the do’s and don’t’s?
From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author
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
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
Yet tourists might find themselves entirely alone at Cromeleque dos Almendres which along with the smaller and less-visited Cromeleque de Vale Maria do Meio are mysterious mini-Stonehenge circles of planted stone monoliths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
"We have tried to get him to the dos we have had, but nobody can get hold of him," he said.
From BBC ● Jan. 7, 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
“It is very, very common to see a launch delay. But it does follow on the heels of a pretty challenging … Blue Origin situation,” Greg Pendy at Clear Street Research told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
“Abdul Malik does things gradually,” he said of the Houthi leader.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
That doesn’t save “Cape Fear” from being a 10-hour slog set to an imitation of Bernard Herrmann’s anxiety-inducing score, but it does lend a little intrigue to Antosca and Bardem’s interpretation of Max.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Manage that, he said, and "the turbulence of the last decade may not quite feel as inevitable as it does today".
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
It makes sense; he rarely does what I ask.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
If gas prices spike again, as they did in the spring, the economy would surely suffer to some degree.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
She withdrew her official endorsement and did everything she could to stall the book’s publication.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The county did not question the value of the employees or their need for higher income and health benefits; they simply challenged the district’s ability to afford them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
It was alleged on separate occasions he had started conversation with two women he did not know and insisted they have a drink he had bought.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
When we get home, Dad fusses over me and asks if I want to go back to therapy, like I did the first few months after Mom died.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Instead, it captures what portion of a job’s tasks can be done efficiently with technologies like large language models and machine learning.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
“We have no interest in interfering with the U.S. elections and have never done so.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
That was done by local muralist LaJon Miller, who worked on another on the sidewalk during Likho’s party.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Whether done by people or technology, the accuracy of signature matching remains controversial.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
I desperately wanted to know what she’d done, but if it were possible to ask, I would have done it long ago.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Rather, they are doing arbitrage, such as buying a bond while selling an equivalent futures contract to another investor, pocketing the difference in price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
At that CDC press conference, officials said they’re doing more frequent updates.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
But 27% have cut contributions to their plan, with 70% doing so in the past two years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Connor says it is important for audiences to witness this on-screen representation, "wherever we are in the world and whatever the powers that be are doing".
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
“We’ll be together, Betsie? We’re doing all this together? You’re sure about that?”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
