do
1 Americanverb (used with object)
present singular 1st person
do,2nd
do,2nd
doest, dost,3rd
does,3rd
doeth, doth,present plural
do,past singular 1st person
did,2nd
did,2nd
didst,3rd
did,past plural
did,past participle
done,present participle
doing-
to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.).
Do nothing until you hear the bell.
- Synonyms:
- act
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to execute (a piece or amount of work).
to do a hauling job.
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to accomplish; finish; complete.
He has already done his homework.
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to put forth; exert.
Do your best.
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to be the cause of (good, harm, credit, etc.); bring about; effect.
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to render, give, or pay (homage, justice, etc.).
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to deal with, fix, clean, arrange, move, etc., (anything) as the case may require.
to do the dishes.
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to travel; traverse.
We did 30 miles today.
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to serve; suffice for.
This will do us for the present.
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to condone or approve, as by custom or practice.
That sort of thing simply isn't done.
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to travel at the rate of (a specified speed).
He was doing 80 when they arrested him.
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to make or prepare.
I'll do the salad.
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to serve (a term of time) in prison, or, sometimes, in office.
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to create, form, or bring into being.
She does wonderful oil portraits.
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to translate into or change the form or language of.
MGM did the book into a movie.
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to study or work at or in the field of.
I have to do my math tonight.
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to explore or travel through as a sightseer.
They did Greece in three weeks.
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(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.
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Informal. to wear out; exhaust; tire.
That last set of tennis did me.
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Informal. to cheat, trick, or take advantage of.
That crooked dealer did him for $500 at poker.
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Informal. to attend or participate in.
Let's do lunch next week.
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Slang. to use (a drug or drugs), especially habitually.
The police report said he was doing cocaine.
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Slang. to rob; steal from.
The law got him for doing a lot of banks.
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Slang: Vulgar. to have sex with.
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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)
present singular 1st person
do,2nd
do,2nd
doest, dost,3rd
does,3rd
doeth, doth,present plural
do,past singular 1st person
did,2nd
did,2nd
didst,3rd
did,past plural
did,past participle
done,present participle
doing-
to act or conduct oneself; be in action; behave.
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to proceed.
to do wisely.
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to get along; fare; manage.
to do without an automobile.
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to be in health, as specified.
Mother and child are doing fine.
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to serve or be satisfactory, as for the purpose; be enough; suffice.
Will this do?
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to finish or be finished.
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to happen; take place; transpire.
What's doing at the office?
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(used as a substitute to avoid repetition of a verb or full verb expression).
I think as you do.
auxiliary verb
present singular 1st person
do,2nd
do,2nd
doest, dost,3rd
does,3rd
doeth, doth,present plural
do,past singular 1st person
did,2nd
did,2nd
didst,3rd
did,past plural
did,past participle
done,present participle
doing-
(used in interrogative, negative, and inverted constructions).
Do you like music? I don't care. Seldom do we witness such catastrophes.
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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.
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(used to lend emphasis to a principal verb).
Do visit us!
noun
plural
dos, do's-
Informal. a burst of frenzied activity; action; commotion.
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Informal. a hairdo or hair styling.
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British Slang. a swindle; hoax.
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Informal. a festive social gathering; party.
verb phrase
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do without
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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
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to kill, especially to murder.
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to injure gravely or exhaust; wear out; ruin.
The tropical climate did them in.
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to cheat or swindle.
He was done in by an unscrupulous broker.
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do up
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to wrap and tie up.
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to pin up or arrange (the hair).
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to renovate; launder; clean.
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to wear out; tire.
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to fasten.
Do up your coat.
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to dress.
The children were all done up in funny costumes.
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do for
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to cause the defeat, ruin, or death of.
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Chiefly British. to cook and keep house for; manage or provide for.
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do over to redecorate.
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do with to gain advantage or benefit from; make use of.
I could do with more leisure time.
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do by to deal with; treat.
He had always done well by his family.
idioms
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do time, to serve a term in prison.
It's hard to get a decent job once you've done time.
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dos and don'ts, customs, rules, or regulations.
The dos and don'ts of polite manners are easy to learn.
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do one's (own) thing. thing.
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do a number on (someone). number.
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have to do with. have.
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do one's number. number.
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do away with,
-
to put an end to; abolish.
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to kill.
-
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do or die, to make a supreme effort.
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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.
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do one proud. proud.
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do to death. death.
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do out of, to swindle; cheat.
A furniture store did me out of several hundred dollars.
noun
plural
dos-
the syllable used for the first tone or keynote of a diatonic scale.
-
(in the fixed system of solmization) the tone C.
abbreviation
verb
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to perform or complete (a deed or action)
to do a portrait
the work is done
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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
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(tr) to arrange or fix
you should do the garden now
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(tr) to prepare or provide; serve
this restaurant doesn't do lunch on Sundays
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(tr) to make tidy, elegant, ready, etc, as by arranging or adorning
to do one's hair
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(tr) to improve (esp in the phrase do something to or for )
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(tr) to find an answer to (a problem or puzzle)
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(tr) to translate or adapt the form or language of
the book was done into a play
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(intr) to conduct oneself
do as you please
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(intr) to fare or manage
how are you doing these days?
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(tr) to cause or produce
complaints do nothing to help
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(tr) to give or render
your portrait doesn't do you justice
do me a favour
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(tr) to work at, esp as a course of study or a profession
he is doing chemistry
what do you do for a living?
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(tr) to perform (a play, etc); act
they are doing ``Hamlet'' next week
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(tr) to travel at a specified speed, esp as a maximum
this car will do 120 mph
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(tr) to travel or traverse (a distance)
we did 15 miles on our walk
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(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?
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(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary to intensify positive statements and commands
I do like your new house
do hurry!
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(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!
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(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
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used as an auxiliary to replace an earlier verb or verb phrase to avoid repetition
he likes you as much as I do
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informal (tr) to visit or explore as a sightseer or tourist
to do Westminster Abbey
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(tr) to wear out; exhaust
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(intr) to happen (esp in the phrase nothing doing )
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slang (tr) to serve (a period of time) as a prison sentence
he's doing three years for burglary
he's doing time
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informal (tr) to cheat or swindle
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slang (tr) to rob
they did three shops last night
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slang (tr)
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to arrest
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to convict of a crime
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informal (tr) to lose or spend (money) completely
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slang (tr) to treat violently; assault
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slang (tr) to take or use (a drug)
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taboo (tr) (of a male) to have sexual intercourse with
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(tr) to partake in (a meal)
let's do lunch
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informal to act like; imitate
he's a good mimic – he can do all his friends well
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to make a final or supreme effort
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a conventional formula when being introduced
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to manage with whatever is available
noun
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slang an act or instance of cheating or swindling
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informal a formal or festive gathering; party
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informal those things that should or should not be done; rules
abbreviation
-
Doctor of Optometry
-
Doctor of Osteopathy
abbreviation
noun
abbreviation
abbreviation
Related Words
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.
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; gamut
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.
For those who do drive, plan to get there early.
From Los Angeles Times
For as much as they have been "underwhelmed" by England's defeat, they have also embraced the country – Lisa has even done a skydive.
From BBC
"People do feel insecure, their identity has been challenged and we shouldn't ignore that, but churches, I think, have the opportunity to listen to that," said the incoming archbishop.
From BBC
In later years, he became more famous for the bestselling kitchen appliance the George Foreman Grill - an association that brought him far more money than boxing ever did.
From BBC
He views the deal as evidence that export and investment restrictions work and could squeeze other Chinese AI companies, pushing them to do more deals with U.S. partners.
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.
