do up

verb

did up; done up; doing up; does up

transitive verb

1

: fasten

do up the buttons of a shirt

… an elderly lady with her jacket done up tightly against the wind …

—Sue Lloyd-Roberts

2

a

: to deck (someone) out : clothe

The waitstaff was done up in western attire.

b

: to furnish (something) with something ornamental : decorate

She always does up the house for the holidays.

3

: to prepare (something) for wear or use (as by cleaning or repairing)

"… I'll make the pies and lady fingers tomorrow and do up my white muslin dress. …"

—Lucy Maud Montgomery

4

a

: to wrap (something) up

do up a package

b

: to prepare and preserve (something) for later use : can entry 2, put up

I did up a bushel of tomatoes.

5

: exhaust, wear out

This contact with righteousness has about done me up!

—Sinclair Lewis

Synonyms

• decorate
• adorn

Examples of do up in a Sentence

the whole house had been done up for Halloween

on Wild West Day some of the women came to the office done up as showgirls, while the men were mostly outlaws

Recent Examples on the Web

The chef’s kitchen and butler’s pantry are done up in a creamy eggshell hue, and there’s a breakfast room for light meals. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2025

Venturing into the wild, Rip encounters a strange group of men, done up in traditional Dutch dress and playing ninepins—bowling—in a mountain hollow. —John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025

The good news, however, is that even casual fans of their music can enjoy and appreciate what Joseph and Dun are doing up there. —Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025

Swift had her hair done up in colorful scrunchies and wore a Scramble letter necklace with her character's name Natalie. —Bryan West, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for do up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup