done

[ duhn ]

/ dʌn /

verb

past participle of do¹.

Nonstandard. a simple past tense of do¹.

auxiliary verb

South Midland and Southern U.S. Nonstandard. (used with a principal verb in the past or, sometimes, present tense to indicate completed action): I done told you so. He done eat his lunch.

adjective

completed; finished; through: Our work is done.

cooked sufficiently.

worn out; exhausted; used up.

in conformity with fashion, good taste, or propriety; acceptable: It isn't done.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?

Question 1 of 10

decorum

the act of or need for making up one's mind.

dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for done

be/have done with, to break off relations or connections with; stop.

done for, Informal.

tired; exhausted.
deprived of one's means, position, etc.
dead or close to death.

done in, Informal. very tired; exhausted: He was really done in after a close race.

usage note for done

4. In the adjectival sense “completed, finished, through,” done dates from the 14th century and is entirely standard: Is your portrait done yet?

OTHER WORDS FROM done

half-done, adjective

Words nearby done

donau, donbass, doncaster, donder, donders' law, done, done deal, done for, done in, done to a t, donec

Definition for done (2 of 2)

do¹

[ doo; unstressed doo, duh ]

/ du; unstressed dʊ, də /

verb (used with object), present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.): Do nothing until you hear the bell.

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), present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

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, present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

(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, plural dos, do's.

Informal. a burst of frenzied activity; action; commotion.

Informal. a hairdo or hair styling.

British Slang. a swindle; hoax.

Chiefly British. a festive social gathering; party.

Verb Phrases

do by, to deal with; treat: He had always done well by his family.

do for,

to cause the defeat, ruin, or death of.
Chiefly British. to cook and keep house for; manage or provide for.

do in, Informal.

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 over, to redecorate.

do up, Informal.

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 with, to gain advantage or benefit from; make use of: I could do with more leisure time.

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.

Origin of do

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

SYNONYMS FOR do

1, 27 act.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR do ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for do

3. 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.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH do

dew do dew

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for done

But the other thing that needs to be done is for us citizens to do.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Newspapers around Europe have also done so in solidarity with the slain.
Why We Stand With Charlie Hebdo—And You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Neither the Republican nor the Democratic party have done anything to consistently target Asian- American voters.
Asian-Americans Are The New Florida|Tim Mak|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He made clear that he fully appreciated what the cops had done.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Because I was going more on about how things had already been done.
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire|William O’Connor|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Somehow he had expected to find her there, and he watched her again, as he had done through Pre Antoine's vines.
Bayou Folk|Kate Chopin
A real ghost could have done that, I suppose, but so could any person in reasonable physical shape who knew the terrain.
The Blue Ghost Mystery|Harold Leland Goodwin
The invalids replied untruthfully that they did, while Peter stated that Master had done him good already.
Furze the Cruel|John Trevena
They have done better than the average archaeologist with one or another find to his credit.
Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome|Apicius
Some one is so very proper, and such a fine lady, I shouldn't have thought she'd have done things without your knowing.'
Demos|George Gissing

British Dictionary definitions for done (1 of 5)

done

/ (dʌn) /

verb

the past participle of do 1

be done with or have done with to end relations with

have done to be completely finishedhave you done?

that's done it

an exclamation of frustration when something is ruined
an exclamation when something is completed

interjection

an expression of agreement, as on the settlement of a bargain between two parties

adjective

completed; finished

cooked enoughdone to a turn

used upthey had to surrender when the ammunition was done

socially proper or acceptablethat isn't done in higher circles

informal cheated; tricked

done for informal

dead or almost dead
in serious difficulty

done in or done up informal physically exhausted

British Dictionary definitions for done (2 of 5)

abbreviation for

Doctor of Optometry

Doctor of Osteopathy

British Dictionary definitions for done (3 of 5)

do¹

/ (duː, unstressed dʊ, də) /

verb does, doing, did or done

to perform or complete (a deed or action)to do a portrait; the work is done

(often intr; foll by for) to serve the needs of; be suitable for (a person, situation, etc); sufficethere isn't much food, but it'll do for the two of us

(tr) to arrange or fixyou should do the garden now

(tr) to prepare or provide; servethis restaurant doesn't do lunch on Sundays

(tr) to make tidy, elegant, ready, etc, as by arranging or adorningto 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 ofthe book was done into a play

(intr) to conduct oneselfdo as you please

(intr) to fare or managehow are you doing these days?

(tr) to cause or producecomplaints do nothing to help

(tr) to give or renderyour portrait doesn't do you justice; do me a favour

(tr) to work at, esp as a course of study or a professionhe is doing chemistry; what do you do for a living?

(tr) to perform (a play, etc); actthey are doing ``Hamlet'' next week

(tr) to travel at a specified speed, esp as a maximumthis 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 questiondo you agree?; when did John go out?

(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary to intensify positive statements and commandsI 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 commandshe does not like cheese; do not leave me here alone!

(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary in inverted constructionslittle 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 repetitionhe likes you as much as I do

(tr) informal to visit or explore as a sightseer or touristto do Westminster Abbey

(tr) to wear out; exhaust

(intr) to happen (esp in the phrase nothing doing)

(tr) slang to serve (a period of time) as a prison sentencehe's doing three years for burglary; he's doing time

(tr) informal to cheat or swindle

(tr) slang to robthey did three shops last night

(tr) slang

to arrest
to convict of a crime

(tr) Australian informal to lose or spend (money) completely

(tr) slang, mainly British to treat violently; assault

(tr) slang to take or use (a drug)

(tr) taboo, slang (of a male) to have sexual intercourse with

(tr) to partake in (a meal)let's do lunch

do or do a informal to act like; imitatehe's a good mimic – he can do all his friends well

do or die to make a final or supreme effort

how do you do? a conventional formula when being introduced

make do to manage with whatever is available

noun plural dos or do's

slang an act or instance of cheating or swindling

informal, mainly British and NZ a formal or festive gathering; party

do's and don'ts informal those things that should or should not be done; rules

Word Origin for do

Old English dōn; related to Old Frisian duān, Old High German tuon, Latin abdere to put away, Greek tithenai to place; see deed, doom

British Dictionary definitions for done (4 of 5)

do²

/ (dəʊ) /

noun plural dos

a variant spelling of doh 1

British Dictionary definitions for done (5 of 5)

do³

the internet domain name for

Dominican Republic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with done

done

In addition to the idioms beginning with done

done deal
done for
done in
done to a T

also see:

easier said than done
good as done
have done (with)
no sooner said (than done)
not done
over and done with
seen one, seen them all (been there, done that)
what's done is done
when all's said and done

Also see underdo.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

done

verb

auxiliary verb

adjective

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

Idioms for done

usage note for done

OTHER WORDS FROM done

Words nearby done

Definition for done (2 of 2)

verb (used with object), present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

verb (used without object), present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

auxiliary verb, present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

noun, plural dos, do's.

Verb Phrases

Origin of do

SYNONYMS FOR do

synonym study for do

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH do

Words related to done

Example sentences from the Web for done

British Dictionary definitions for done (1 of 5)

verb

interjection

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for done (2 of 5)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for done (3 of 5)

verb does, doing, did or done

noun plural dos or do's

Word Origin for do

British Dictionary definitions for done (4 of 5)

noun plural dos

British Dictionary definitions for done (5 of 5)

the internet domain name for

Idioms and Phrases with done