Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

good turn

British  

noun

  1. a helpful and friendly act; good deed; favour

"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

good turn Idioms  
  1. A favor, an act of good will, as in Pat did her a good turn by calling in a second surgeon. [First half of 1400s]


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:

If you do a good turn for others, the universe will — in theory — do you a good turn one day.

From MarketWatch Apr. 7, 2026

So “false social reality” felt like a good turn of phrase for that.

From Scientific American Aug. 23, 2022

“I was really pumped at getting a good turn in on a soft-top,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 28, 2022

He described his mother as a much-loved grandmother, "the kindest person you could ever wish to meet", and a woman who would "do anybody a good turn".

From BBC Dec. 13, 2021

He was doing them a good turn because they had saved his life but, as Hazel knew, he could not help despising them for timid, helpless, stay-at-home creatures who could not fly.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training