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to do

to do

1.0
Study a subject at university, for example medicine or law
  • verb
  • /duː/
translation icon : hacer
  • In order to finish the project on time, we need to do our tasks efficiently.
  • do so
  • do things
  • do work

I am going to now do my DNC story.

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Examples

  • Look, when you love what you do, it's real good.

  • How do you have time to do life stuff?

  • I just do what I can and do what I think needs to be done.

    Academic text (2017)
  • So what we'll do is run a few tests.

  • Except I want you to do a favor for me, Keyes.

  • We can no longer discuss what we must do; we must mobilize and do it.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Every morning, she wakes up early to do her workout before heading to work.

  • He plans to do the grocery shopping after his meeting is over.

Synonyms

to make
vsto do
1.0

To do an action or task

is the general term for taking part in any task or activity
to perform
vsto do
1.3

To do a task or duty

is the broader word for simply taking part in activities
to act
vsto do
1.0

Take action to deal with a problem or situation

is a more general word for participating in any activity or task
to carry out
vsto do
348 1.8

To do a task or follow instructions

is more general and covers any activity, not only ordered tasks
to execute
vsto do
233 3.6

To carry out a plan or task

is broader and applies to any simple action or activity
to exercise
vsto do
98 3.3

Carry out the duties of a job or role

is general and not limited to job duties or professional roles
to action
vsto do
  • Jargon
1 4.7

To carry out a plan or decision

is more general and covers many kinds of activities beyond implementation

Idioms

Not involved with a person or thing

how do you do
  • Formal
86 6.1

A formal greeting used when meeting someone for the first time that does not need an answer

to do the trick
  • Informal
80 3.7

To get the result you want

Be closely connected to something or happen because of it

50 7.4

Saying this shows someone has the same habit or choice

48 5.1

Give someone help that does more harm than good

Take any action needed to reach a goal, even when it is difficult

7 7.8

To have sex, often used in a polite way to mean to get married

To try as hard as possible

5 7.5

A promise to stay married for the rest of both people's lives

do or die
  • Informal
4 6.7

A situation when you must succeed because failure is not allowed

People say it to boast about something they or someone else did

1 3.5

Jump into water while pulling your knees to your chest to make a big splash

To try very hard to do something

1 3.2

Act responsibly because your role or job needs it

To succeed by helping others and acting fairly

Work without full effort and leave tasks half finished

to do it mañana
  • Informal
9.9

To wait until tomorrow to do something instead of doing it now

8.1

Not easy to find or get

do not pass go
  • Informal
9.1

To refuse someone any further chance and make them leave immediately

Trick someone so they end up worse off

Serve a prison sentence without involving other people

Use tricks to hide the truth

5.5

What someone does shows who they really are more than what they say

7.6

Use what you have and fix things instead of buying new ones

8.0

Not speaking to show your feelings or thoughts

9.8

To ask someone if they agree or what they think

A question said to show someone is asking for too much

Follow how people behave where you are

Phrasal Verbs

4.2

To need or want something because it would help now

to do it
  • NSFW
999 9.8

To have sex with someone

888 1.5

Spend time without any activity

To be about something or connected to it

520 1.2

Be successful or have good results in something

217 8.9

To pee or poo, often said about animals and young children

136 2.6

Act in a wise way that helps you

100 7.5

Take illegal or recreational drugs to change how you feel

Remove something so it is no longer used

82 6.7

Treat someone in a certain way

82 2.4

To help someone by making them healthier or happier

71 4.4

Calculate the numbers to see if something is worth it

Show a higher level of skill or quality than before

To wash plates, cups, and other things used for eating after a meal

49 3.7

Use what you have even if it is not enough

Treat someone fairly and give them support

Carry out a social duty like introducing guests or serving drinks

22 8.6

To harm someone or something very badly

15 4.2

Act on your own without following what other people want

14 4.1

Show a person or thing so people can see its true value

To show something as well as it really is

11 8.4

Cheat someone so they lose money or other things they should have

To break the law

10 3.7

Wrap and decorate something like a present to make it look attractive

to do in
  • Offensive
9 8.3

To kill or seriously hurt someone to remove a threat

8 8.3

Make someone very tired or unable to continue

To treat someone unfairly or break their trust

7 3.9

Make yourself look attractive by dressing and doing your hair or makeup

To become successful and earn enough money

to do a 180
  • Informal
4 6.8

To completely change your opinion or decision

4 9.5

To have sex with someone

3 7.7

Damage or spoil something badly

3 6.6

To suddenly change your opinion or plan to the opposite

to do in
  • Offensive
3 7.4

To damage something so it stops working or make a person very tired

to do down
  • Offensive
3 8.6

To say bad things about someone to make them look worse

To turn your body sideways in a full circle touching the ground with hands and feet to show joy

Ask someone politely to help you with something

1 5.8

To clean and tidy a room to make it ready to use

to do ill
  • Offensive
1 7.5

To harm someone or cause them trouble

To try as hard as you can to do something well

Treat someone with respect and kindness

to do it tough
  • Australian
1 8.5

To live through hard times and keep going

1 8.4

Treat someone unfairly or hurt them, often when they trust you

To make someone feel very annoyed or upset

To calculate the money and costs to see if something is affordable

To annoy people online a little on purpose to make them react for fun

To run away quickly to avoid being caught

9.9

To create or perform something while taking LSD so it looks strange and colorful

To suddenly scare someone and make them jump

to do you for
  • Informal
9.9

Ask someone how you can help them in a playful way

Compounds

134 4.2

Being positive and willing to try difficult tasks

to-do
  • Jargon
63 3.6

A note about a task to do later

Made or fixed by yourself instead of a professional

22 4.2

People who have plenty of money and live comfortably

9 7.5

Not willing or able to take action

do-nothing
  • Offensive
9 7.0

A person who avoids work and makes little effort

ne'er-do-well
  • Offensive
5 9.9

A person who is lazy, irresponsible, and does not try to succeed

A positive, confident way of dealing with tasks and problems

derring-do
  • Archaic
4 9.9

Brave acts that show courage and a love of adventure

3 4.8

A Korean martial art with fast high kicks and hand strikes

do-si-do
  • Jargon
3 9.9

Two people walk around each other back to back then return to their places

do-or-die
  • Informal
2 7.2

Willing to do anything to succeed when the situation is urgent

do-or-die moment
  • Informal
1 6.0

A time when someone must succeed or they will fail under great pressure

1 5.7

A temporary thing used instead of what you need

honey do list
  • Informal
1 8.6

A list of small jobs one partner asks the other to do at home

dog do
  • NSFW
8.0

Poop a dog leaves on the ground

doggy do
  • NSFW
8.8

Poop left by a dog on the ground that people must pick up

A way of acting that uses little effort

A habit of not trying hard and avoiding work

fair do
  • UK
9.9

It is right to give someone credit for what they did

9.5

A party to say goodbye to someone leaving a job or group

how-do-you-do
  • Formal
8.2

A polite, formal greeting used when meeting someone for the first time

how-do-you-do
  • Archaic
9.3

An awkward or difficult situation that causes trouble

how-d'ye-do
  • Archaic
9.9

An awkward problem that causes a fuss

A city near São Paulo in southeastern Brazil with many factories

How Formal

to execute
233 3.6
to perform
1.3
to carry out
348 1.8
to do
1.0
to mess about
  • UK
3 5.9

Surface Forms

do infinitive
doing present participle
does third person singular
did past
done past participle

Etymology

Do comes from the old English verb dōn, meaning 'to act' or 'to make', and it is like the German word tun. So to 'do' medicine or law is to carry out or take part in that activity.