do

verb \ ˈdü \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of do

did play \ˈdid, dəd\; done play \ˈdən\; doing play \ˈdü-iŋ\; does play \ˈdəz\

transitive verb

1 : to bring to pass : carry out

do another's wishes

it is my earnest desire to know the will of Providence … and if I can learn what it is I will do it
—Abraham Lincoln

2 : put —used chiefly in do to death

had been hounded down and done to death as heretics
—Stringfellow Barr

3 a : perform, execute

do some work

did his duty

b : commit

crimes done deliberately

4 a : bring about, effect

trying to do good

do violence

b : to give freely : pay

do honor to her memory

5 : to bring to an end : finish —used in the past participle

the job is finally done

6 : to put forth : exert

did her best to win the race

7 a : to wear out especially by physical exertion : exhaust

at the end of the race they were pretty well done

b : to attack physically : beat; also : kill

8 : to bring into existence : produce

do a biography on the general

has done some beautiful landscapes

9 —used as a substitute verb especially to avoid repetition

if you must make such a racket, do it somewhere else

10 a : to play the role or character of

He did Hamlet on Broadway.

b : mimic; also : to behave like

do a Houdini and disappear

c : to perform in or serve as producer of

do a play

11 : to treat unfairly; especially : cheat

did him out of his inheritance

12 : to treat or deal with in any way typically with the sense of preparation or with that of care or attention:

a (1) : to put in order : clean

was doing the kitchen

(2) : wash

did the dishes after supper

b : to prepare for use or consumption; especially : cook

like my steak done rare

c : set, arrange

had her hair done

d : to apply cosmetics to

wanted to do her face before the party

e : decorate, furnish

did the living room in Early American

do over the kitchen

13 : to be engaged in the study or practice of

do science

; especially : to work at as a vocation

what to do after college

14 a : to pass over : traverse

did 20 miles yesterday

b : to travel at a speed of

doing 55 on the turnpike

15 : tour

doing 12 countries in 30 days

16 a : to spend (time) in prison

has been doing time in a federal penitentiary

b : to serve out (a period of imprisonment)

did ten years for armed robbery

17 : to serve the needs of : suit, suffice

worms will do us for bait

18 : to approve especially by custom, opinion, or propriety

you oughtn't to say a thing like that … it's not done
—Dorothy Sayers

19 : to treat with respect to physical comforts

did themselves well

20 : use 3

doesn't do drugs

21 : to have sexual intercourse with

I'd do him.

22 : to partake of

Let's do lunch.

intransitive verb

1 : act, behave

do as I say

2 a : get along, fare

do well in school

b : to carry on business or affairs : manage

we can do without your help

3 : to take place : happen

what's doing across the street

4 : to come to or make an end : finish —used in the past participle

he had done with speech for that evening and gave us no reply
—Arnold Bennett

5 : to be active or busy

let us then be up and doing
—H. W. Longfellow

6 : to be adequate or sufficient : serve

half of that will do

7 : to be fitting : conform to custom or propriety

won't do to be late

8 —used as a substitute verb to avoid repetition

wanted to run and play as children do

—used especially in British English following a modal auxiliary or perfective have

a great many people had died, or would do
—Bruce Chatwin

9 —used in the imperative after an imperative to add emphasis

be quiet do

auxiliary verb

1 a —used with the infinitive without to to form present and past tenses in legal and parliamentary language

do hereby bequeath

and in poetry

give what she did crave
—Shakespeare

b —used with the infinitive without to to form present and past tenses in declarative sentences with inverted word order

fervently do we pray
—Abraham Lincoln

, in interrogative sentences

did you hear that?

, and in negative sentences

we don't know

don't go

2 —used with the infinitive without to to form present and past tenses expressing emphasis

I do say

do be careful

—

doable

play \ˈdü-ə-bəl\ adjective

— do a number on

: to defeat or confound thoroughly especially by indirect or deceptive means

The scandal did a number on his career.

— do away with

1 : to put an end to : abolish

chose to do away with a number of positions

doing away with formalities

2 : to put to death : kill

— do by

: to deal with : treat

They did pretty well by me when I retired.

— do for

chiefly British

1 : to attend to the wants and needs of : take care of

2 : to bring about the death or ruin of

He will be done for.

— do it

: to have sexual intercourse

— do justice

1 a : to act justly

b : to treat fairly or adequately

The portrait doesn't do justice to her beauty.

c : to show due appreciation for

2 : to acquit in a way worthy of one's abilities

— do proud

: to give cause for pride or gratification

she did herself proud

— do the trick

: to produce a desired result

— do with

: to make good use of : benefit by

could do with a cup of coffee

— to do

: necessary to be done

I've done my best and all's to do again
—A. E. Housman

See do defined for kids

Examples of do in a Sentence

We should do something special to celebrate your birthday.
This crime was done deliberately.
I have to do some chores this afternoon.
Tell me what to do and I'll do it.
I'm obliged to do my duty.
He does his work without complaining.
He did a lot for us.
What have I done to you to make you so angry?
“What are you doing this weekend?” “I'm just relaxing at home.”
What is the stock market doing now: rising or falling?

feasible and doable

Feasible comes from faire, the French verb meaning “to do.” Doable and feasible therefore originally meant literally the same thing: “capable of being done.” Indeed, doable was formed with -able, the Latin-derived French ending meaning “capable of” combined, in this instance, with do, a word with roots in Old English and one of the most basic and useful of our verbs. Though their respective etymological meanings may overlap, doable and feasible exist more in parallel with each other than as true synonyms. As with most such pairs of words, the Latin-derived term is used when describing more abstract notions. The words most commonly modified by feasible include:

option

alternative

solution

plan

approach

These are words that describe what has yet to be decided or what will be carefully considered. By contrast, doable modifies more concrete terms:

task

thing

target

Feasible is used when an element of abstraction, distance, and technical specificity is needed. The more earthy doable is rarely used in formal writing, and is not found in the works of Shakespeare, the King James Bible, or any of the founding documents of the United States.

This abstract use of feasible also accounts for the word that expresses a putative, conceptual, or hypothetical state: feasibility. Indeed, we frequently encounter “feasibility study” but not “doability study” (although doability is a word that is sometimes used, it hasn’t yet been added to most dictionaries). As long as something is just an idea, it’s feasible. When it’s time for action, we need to find out if it’s doable.

Origin and Etymology of do

Middle English don, from Old English dōn; akin to Old High German tuon to do, Latin -dere to put, facere to make, do, Greek tithenai to place, set

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

do Synonyms

do

noun \ ˈdü \

Definition of do

plural dos or do's play \ˈdüz\

1 chiefly dialectal : fuss, ado

2 archaic : deed, duty

3 a : a festive get-together : affair, party

an annual do

b chiefly British : battle

4 : a command or entreaty to do something

a list of dos and don'ts

5 British : cheat, swindle

6 : hairdo

The wind messed up his do.

Origin and Etymology of do

see ¹do

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

do

noun \ ˈdō \

Definition of do

music : the first tone of the major scale in solfège

Origin and Etymology of do

Italian

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1754

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

do

abbreviation

Definition of do

1 ditto

2 double occupancy

DO

abbreviation

Definition of DO

1 defense order

2 doctor of osteopathic medcine; doctor of osteopathy

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

DO Defined for Kids

do

verb \ dü \

Definition of do for Students

did \did\; done \ˈdən\; doing \ˈdü-iŋ\; does \ˈdəz\

1 : to cause (as an act or action) to happen : perform

Tell me what to do.

Do me a favor.

2 : ²act 2, behave

Do as I say, not as I do.

3 : to make progress : succeed

He is doing well in school.

4 : to finish working on —used in the past participle

My project is almost done.

5 : to put forth : exert

Just do your best.

6 : to work on, prepare, produce, or put in order

Do your homework.

This artist does beautiful landscapes.

7 : to work at as a paying job

What does she do for a living?

8 : to serve the purpose : suit

This will do very well.

9 : to have an effect

A vacation would do you some good.

10 : to travel at a speed of

doing 50 miles per hour

11 —used as a helping verb (1) before the subject in a question

Do you work?

, (2) in a negative statement

I do not know.

, (3) for emphasis

I think you do know.

, and (4) as a substitute for a predicate that has already been stated

You work harder than I do.

— do away with

1 : to get rid of

2 : ¹kill 1

do

noun \ ˈdō \

Definition of do for Students

: the first note of the musical scale

Medical Dictionary

DO

abbreviation

medical Definition of DO

1 doctor of optometry

2 doctor of osteopathic medicine; doctor of osteopathy

Law Dictionary

do

verb

legal Definition of do

did; done; doing; does

transitive verb

1 : perform, execute

2 : commit

did this act of cruelty

verbal auxiliary

—used with the infinitive without to to form present and past tenses in legal and parliamentary language

do hereby bequeath

— do business

: to be engaged in business activities (as soliciting sales); specifically : to engage in activities sufficient to subject a foreign company to the personal jurisdiction of a state