to-do
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See ado.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of to-do
before 900; Middle English, Old English; noun use of infinitive phrase; see to, do 1, ado
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:
Start your to-do list by getting your paperwork in order: passport, visa, civil records and documents.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Not everyone agrees a renovation should be on the to-do list.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
“Whether you’re chasing dreams, tackling that to-do list, or just enjoying a quiet morning at home, I hope it brings a smile with every sip.”
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
The world’s No. 1 women’s golfer won for the fourth time in 2026 on Sunday and checked off the biggest item on her to-do list.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
Restless, I walk over to my med cart, hoping that moving on to “Before-bed meds” on my to-do list will help calm me down.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Jumping straight into a list of major to-dos would leave little time for ideas to germinate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
It’s easy to get lost in a shower, the soothing water transporting us to someplace other than to-dos and water shortages ...
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2022
Other helpful features include a food portion calculator, pet-related to-dos, and access to Whistle’s televet service.
From The Verge ● Jun. 12, 2022
First, we can feel “more intimately tied to our plans, and get increased joy out of organizing our to-dos, when we can track them physically on analog calendars,” she says.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2021
When they had big to-dos old master sent mama over there.
From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Arkansas Narratives, Part 5 by Work Projects Administration
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.
