do

SayDOO/du/UK/duː/

Formsdoes, doing, did, done

Often confused with make

44 meanings of do

Practice

1
perform a taskverbtransitive
To carry out an action or job, as in 'do your homework' or 'do the dishes'.
Can you do the dishes after supper tonight?
What are you going to do on Saturday morning?
UsageSay do your homework (not ~~incorrect: make your homework~~); you make a cake.
Similarperform
Note
2
questions and negativesverbauxiliary
Used before another verb to ask questions or to say not, as in 'Do you like it?' or 'I don't know.'
I do not eat meat or fish.
Please do not touch the paintings.
UsageAfter didn't, use the plain verb: didn't go (not ~~incorrect: didn't went~~).
Note
3
same actionverbauxiliary
Used instead of repeating a verb already said, but not usually for 'be'.
I like coffee and so do my parents.
He works harder than I do.
UsageSay she likes it, and so do I.
Note
4
emphasisverbauxiliary
Used to make a statement or order stronger.
I do want to come, I'm just busy.
You do look happy today!
UsageStress do when speaking: I DO like it.
5
verbintransitive
To get along or perform in a certain way, well or badly.
Tomatoes do well in a sunny spot.
How is your grandma doing after her operation?
UsageSay do well or do badly: did well in the test.
Similarfare, perform
6
finishverbtransitive or intransitive
To finish something, mostly in have done or be done.
Have you done with the newspaper?
When you've done, come and find me.
Similarfinish
Oppositestart (entry), begin

Less common meanings

7
good or harmverb
To have a good or bad effect on someone or something.
A holiday would do you good.
The long walk in the park did her a lot of good.
UsageSay it will do you good.
Similarcause
8
treatverbtransitive
To treat someone in a certain way, well or badly.
They do their guests very well at that hotel.
Why would you do me like that?
UsageDo someone well is good; do someone like that is bad.
Similartreat
Note
9
verbcolloquialtransitive
To offer something as a service, like haircuts or repairs.
I don't think they do haircuts there.
The cafe does a good breakfast.
UsageSay a shop does repairs or haircuts.
Similargive, provide, supply, furnish, deliver
Note
10
be enoughverbtransitive or intransitive
To be good enough or acceptable, as in 'Any box will do.'
We don't have any tape, but this string will do.
A cheese sandwich will do for lunch.
UsageSay that will do when something is good enough.
Similarsuffice, serve
11
jobverbtransitive
To have as your job, mostly in the question what do you do?
Nobody in town knew what the quiet new neighbor did for a living.
Tell me what you do for work, and I will tell you about mine.
UsageWhat do you do? asks about your job; What are you doing? asks about now.
12
cookverbtransitive
To cook or make food, like eggs or toast.
I'll just do some eggs for breakfast.
He did the potatoes while I set the table.
Similarmake, cook, prepare
Note
13
work as cleanerverbtransitive
To clean or look after a place or a person as a job.
A woman comes in to do for him twice a week.
She used to do the big house on the hill.
UsageDo for someone can mean clean their house.
Similarclean
Note
14
rule to follownouncountable
Something that you can or should do, used mostly in the phrase dos and don'ts.
The guide lists the dos and don'ts of camping in bear country.
Here are a few dos and don'ts for your first job interview.
UsageSay the dos and don'ts of something.
Oppositedon't
Note
15
take drugsverbtransitive
To take a drug, especially an illegal one.
He admitted he used to do drugs at college.
She never did anything stronger than coffee.
UsageSay do drugs or take drugs.
Similartake, use
16
be somewhereverbtransitive
To be somewhere for a reason, often in questions that ask why something is there.
What is your bike doing in the kitchen?
I wonder what those police cars are doing outside the school.
UsageSay What is it doing here? when something is in the wrong place.
17
have sexverbslangtransitive
To have sex with someone.
The gossip was about who did whom at the party.
She said she wouldn't do him if he were the last man alive.
UsageA rude word; say sleep with instead.
Similarbed, bang, bone, have, mount
Note
18
serve timeverbtransitive
To spend a period of time in prison as a punishment.
He did five years for armed robbery.
You could do ten years for that.
UsageSay someone did five years in prison, or did time.
Similarserve
19
drive at speedverbcolloquialtransitive
To drive at a certain speed.
He was doing fifty in a school zone.
You can do seventy on this stretch of road.
UsageSay a car was doing 90.
Similargo (entry), reach, hit
20
impressionverbtransitive
To copy the way someone talks or acts, often to make people laugh.
He can do the president's voice perfectly.
They laughed when he did Clinton, accent and all.
UsageSay someone does a famous person, or does an accent.
Similarimitate, impersonate
Note
21
visit as touristverbtransitive
To visit a place as a tourist and see its sights.
Let's do New York as well while we're there.
We did Paris in two days.
UsageSay we did Paris in two days.
Similartour, visit, see, explore
Note
22
partynouncolloquialUKcountable
In British English, a party or other social event.
Are you coming to the office do on Friday?
It was a posh do with a band and a sit-down dinner.
UsageSay the office do or a birthday do.
Similarparty, bash, shindig, get-together, blowout
23
hairstylenouncolloquialabbreviationclipping
A short, informal word for a hairdo, the way hair is styled.
Nice do! Who cut it?
The rain ruined my do on the way to the wedding.
UsageSay nice do! about someone's new hairstyle.
Note
24
repeat famous actverbtransitive
To copy what a famous person, place or event is known for, with 'a' before the name.
He did a Rip Van Winkle and slept until noon.
Don't do a Houdini on us and disappear.
UsageSay do a Cinderella, meaning leave at midnight like her.
Similarpull
Note
25
injureverbcolloquialtransitive
To hurt a part of your own body, like a knee or shoulder.
I think he's done his shoulder.
Careful, you'll do your back lifting that.
UsageSay I've done my knee when you hurt it.
Similarinjure, hurt, pull, damage
Note
26
cheatverbtransitive
To cheat someone so that they lose money or something they own.
That guy did me out of two hundred dollars!
Don't let them do you on the exchange rate.
UsageSay someone did you out of your money.
Similarcheat, swindle, defraud, scam, trick
Note
27
SayDOH/doʊ/UK/dəʊ/
music notenoununcountable
In music, the sung name for the first note of a scale, as in do re mi, or for the note C.
The song starts on do and ends on do an octave higher.
Sing do, then a fifth up to sol.
Similarut
Note
28
ruinverbslangtransitive
To ruin someone or finish them off for good.
One more scandal like this will do for him.
The bad harvest did for the small farmers.
Similarruin, finish, destroy
Note
29
punishverbcolloquialtransitive
To punish someone for breaking a small rule or law.
He got done for speeding last month.
The teacher will do you for that!
UsageSay get done for speeding or parking.
Similarnick, book, charge, fine
30
verbintransitive
To act or behave in a certain way.
Do as your teacher says.
You did right to call for help.
Similaract, behave
Note
31
verbtransitive
To travel a certain distance or route, or (of a car) to have gone a certain number of miles in total.
We want to do the whole trail in two days.
My old car has done more than 200,000 miles.
UsageSay a car has done 50,000 miles.
Similarcover, travel
32
verbcolloquial
Should, used in questions about how to do a task again and again.
33
verbdialectal
Used with a verb to show something is happening now, as in some local speech.
34
verbobsolete
To force or get a person to act.
35
verbEngland
To grow well, or of farm animals, to get fat.
36
verbslang
To take a person's life.
37
verb
To put words into another language, or change their form.
38
verb
To give money in exchange for a written promise to pay.
39
nounobsolete
A thing a person did.
40
nounarchaic
A lot of noise, fuss, or arguing.
A great deal of do, and a great deal of trouble.
1689, John Selden, Table Talk
41
nounobsoleteUK
A person who cheats people.
42
nounobsoleteUK
A trick to cheat someone.
43
nounslangUK
An act of killing someone.
44
adverbarchaic
A short way to write ditto, meaning the same as above.
Michael Higgins, 51, Back lane / John Mulligan, 53, do
1862, “The O'Connell National Statue”, in The Freeman's Journal

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of do apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–26, 28–31

This comes from Old English dōn, which goes back to an ancient root *dʰeh₁- meaning "to put, place, do, make."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The verb comes from Old English dōn. en.wiktionary.org
Old English dōn ultimately derives from the reconstructed Indo-European root *dʰeh₁-, with the stated meanings. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 27

This is traditionally credited to the Italian musician Giovanni Battista Doni in the 17th century. It was an easier syllable to sing than the older "ut," and is said to come from the first part of Latin Dominus, "The Lord."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

The introduction of musical do is traditionally credited to the Italian musician Giovanni Battista Doni in the 17th century. en.wiktionary.org
Do replaced the older ut because it was easier to sing. en.wikipedia.org
Do is said to derive from Dominus; ut comes from the opening word of the hymn Ut queant laxis. en.wiktionary.org
Latin Dominus means "The Lord." en.wiktionary.org