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:
Others appeared more understanding: “People need to realize these are eagles ... and will do what instincts tell them to. And everything will be fine, regardless of what paths they each may take.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
“We do have to realize he is a wild and free eagle, and it is up to Shadow what direction he goes,” the post states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Citizens has said it plans to do more real-estate lending tied to specific areas such as data centers, though its pullback in offices is causing its overall commercial real-estate loan balance to fall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
In conventional chip manufacturing, IBM continues to do pioneering research.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
If Phineas survived with a large piece of his cortex destroyed, then what does the cortex do?
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
“But there’s a lot you can do. I do a deep inventory of what’s out there and see how we can leverage what’s there to help.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Jazz said: "He was always going to do what he was going to do. That's as simple as that. If it hadn't been our mum, it would have been someone else."
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
"That's what this committee has signed up to do. The objectives, the strategy and the rest, that's still to come."
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
“But I think that’s also where I built this armor that I have — this knowingness of why I do what I do. It’s how I have this grit to stick to it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
“You know your mom. You know what she’ll do and what she won’t do. If anyone can find her, it’ll be you.”
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
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
Robertson touts the transition as a way to follow the industry by going more digital, and the D.O. has an active web site and social media presence.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 4, 2019
It’s 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. Fagunwa,” writes critic Laura Miller.
From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2019
The head of the house was Mr. William E. Chamberlain, cashier of D.O.
From The Expedition of the Donner Party and its Tragic Fate by Houghton, Eliza Poor Donner
“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
“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
Another tweeted, "People DO realize not every movie, song, game or book are specifically made for them right?"
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2024
I don’t think so. 8th juror: DO you know so? 12TH JUROR: Well, now, listen.
From "Twelve Angry Men" by Reginald Rose
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
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
A professor at Kabul University told the BBC that under such circumstances, they are forced to prepare textbook chapters themselves, taking into account the do's and don'ts imposed by the Taliban government.
From BBC ● Sep. 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
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
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
Claudiane Pereira dos Santos, 50, a cleaner, welcomes the tourist "frenzy."
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
All she could see were her own feet, plodding along as she counted “Uno, dos, uno, dos.”
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
Caballero’s steadfast commitment to his unorthodox approach does occasionally backfire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
"Officials have approved this transfer, on behalf of Ministers. This transfer does not change his sentence – which remains at 52 years – and of which he will serve every single day."
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” but does not specifically exclude transgender women.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
If it does make a bomb, a regional arms race could ensue.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
Whenever I think about my first kiss, my stomach does a flip.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
When a string of Russian strikes on military training grounds last year killed 12 Ukrainian soldiers, the general who commanded them did something unusual: He took responsibility and resigned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"I said goodbye to you and did not know what lay ahead," he said referring to their final meeting.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
How long did their unsupervised spree actually last?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"I asked if we could go and get him back," Urmston said, "she did explain that it didn't work that way, so I promised her that I would find him for her one day."
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
How did I expect to get away with such a blatant act of vandalism?
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
The prime minister has said that "no prisoners will be let out under this policy until we have conducted an urgent review and done everything we can to minimise risk to the public."
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
AMD’s approach focuses on throughput, or the number of tasks that can run at once, while Nvidia’s technique targets latency, or how quickly a task is done.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Already, McDaniel has done some tinkering and fine-tuning, tweaking Herbert’s footwork out of the shotgun formation to allow him to get the ball out of his hands a fraction of a second earlier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
"In early 2018, we began examining what needed to be done and how to structure the company to prepare it for the next generation."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
The badger left, and Clare was comforted to be done with her forever.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Kevin Hart seems to be everywhere—acting, producing, making podcasts, doing standup, appearing in ads for banks and sports betting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"My people know who I am, and hopefully, I'm doing them proud and making room for young boys and girls in our world to have a better future than we did."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
They were one of the clear over-achievers, with only Sunderland doing better, finishing seventh instead of an expected position of 18th.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
We do not have to allow companies to create models they cannot control, without enough safeguards to keep them from breaking free and doing as they please.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Katrien! What are you doing here? Why were you just standing there?”
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.
