Synonyms

don't

American

[dohnt] / doʊnt /

verb

contraction of do not.
Nonstandard except in some dialects. contraction of does not.

noun

don'ts, customs, rules, or regulations that forbid something.

The boss has a long list of don'ts that you had better observe if you want a promotion.

don't British

/ dəʊnt /

contraction

do not

"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

Etymology

Origin of don't

First recorded in 1600–10

Compare meaning

How does dont compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

don't vs. doesn't

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:

don't

I don’t really know when it began to happen, but all of a sudden, seemingly overnight, friends I knew were forcing me to accompany them to search for packs of Pokémon cards.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

"To the thief: we don't fault you for wanting to brag to your friends how much PBR you have, we just wish you obtained it the honourable way."

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

Advisers don’t see the recent bond selloff as a red flag indicating a tanking economy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

The breakup of the Overdecks is a high-profile example of how messy a divorce can get, especially at upper-income levels, when the two sides don’t have a prenuptial agreement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

“Please don’t go,” I cry, wishing I were tall so I could look Caesar in the eye.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023