do-gooder

noun

do-good·​er ˈdü-ˌgu̇-dər How to pronounce do-gooder (audio)
: an earnest often naive humanitarian or reformer
do-gooding noun or adjective

Examples of do-gooder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The long-running CBS series follows the lives and trials of a police commissioner (Tom Selleck) and his family of cops, lawyers, and assorted do-gooders. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 11 Feb. 2024 Bek Mitchell-Kidd works in communications for nonprofits and do-gooders. Bek Mitchell-Kidd, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024 So why, then, do politicians, nonprofits and even do-gooder corporations love tiny homes so much? Alena Botros, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2024 Stabs of social-media satire — targeting both Nikki’s do-gooder wellness brand and Reuben’s exhaustively hashtagged wedding plans — are amusing but easy, glossing over the deeper human weaknesses underpinning them. Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Jan. 2024 One of them had to rescue the mom from a pack of deranged do-gooders, who told her adoption was evil. Joy Woodson, Parents, 19 Jan. 2024 Whitney and Asher Siegel, played by Emma Stone and Fielder, respectively, are millennial do-gooders who develop passive house, which use less energy, and reflect back the desert sun in the town of Española, New Mexico. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 12 Jan. 2024 Whitney first went into the HGTV show with two goals: to make a killing in local real estate, and to publicly establish a do-gooder identity that’s in sharp contrast to the reputation of her slumlord parents. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2024 The actor soon became known for his roles playing a do-gooder, including several films as a police officer, and also for playing fiercely patriotic characters. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'do-gooder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of do-gooder was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near do-gooder

Cite this Entry

“Do-gooder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/do-gooder. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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