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do

do

22 9.3
A lively party or social gathering
  • noun
  • /du/
  • UK
translation icon : fiesta
  • - What's the big do?

Examples

  • There was quite a to-do after you went down: shouting and goings-on.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Would you feel inclined to accompany a ... an impeccable young gentleman to a local do tomorrow night?

  • And in all that time, never so much as a how-de-do out of you.

  • The company organized a lively do to celebrate its anniversary.

  • Everyone was excited for the big do at the community center this Saturday.

  • After a long week at work, they decided to throw a fun do at their place.

Synonyms

dance
vsdo
463 1.0

A social event where people move to music

is a general lively social gathering rather than an event mainly for dancing
bash
vsdo
  • Informal
56 4.2

A lively party or celebration with many people

is a general informal gathering that can be lively but less boisterous
social
vsdo
  • Informal
15 1.6

A friendly meeting where people talk and have fun

is often livelier and more uproarious than that general friendly meeting
sociable
vsdo
  • UK
3.8

A friendly meeting where people come to talk and share food

is a casual lively event rather than a planned interaction-focused meeting
bevvy
vsdo
  • Slang
9.3

A casual social meeting where people drink alcohol together

is a broader informal party not focused only on drinking
party of sorts
vsdo
  • Informal
7.2

A small informal get-together with a few friends to celebrate something

is a proper informal celebration often livelier than that modest gathering
leaving do
vsdo
  • UK
9.5

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

is any informal lively gathering not limited to a departure occasion

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

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 Lively

rave
39 7.2
bash
  • Informal
56 4.2
party
1.0
do
  • UK
22 9.3
get-together
  • Informal
46 1.9
gathering
203 1.0
meeting
1.0

Surface Forms

do singular
dos plural

Etymology

Do as a noun for a party comes from the idea of a 'thing done' or an event taken from the verb 'do'. That's why a 'do' is a social event or celebration.