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Glite Dictionary
to do out

to do out

1 5.8
To clean and tidy a room to make it ready to use
  • phrasal verb
  • UK
translation icon : limpiar a fondo
  • She decided to do out the garage to make space for her new car.

Examples

  • I need to do out my bedroom before my guests arrive tomorrow.

  • There's so much to do out here that's a lot of fun.

    Blog text (9)

  • Well I can't stay long, I got work to do out at the house.

    The Whole Shootin' Match (1979)

  • " They're great kids that bring a lot to the table, more than just the things they do out.

    Blog text (28)

  • After the party, we had to do out the living room to clean up all the mess.

Synonyms

to clean up
vsto do out
433 1.0

To make a room or area free of dirt and tidy by removing mess

focuses on thorough preparation and arranging specifically for use
to clear out
vsto do out
91 3.1

Remove all things from a place so it becomes empty

focuses on preparing and organizing a space for future use
to clean out
vsto do out
91 3.2

Empty a place or container by removing everything inside

means preparing and arranging a space for use rather than emptying
to tidy
vsto do out
42 1.0

To make a place neat by putting things away

adds deeper cleaning and setup for practical use beyond neatness
to tidy up
vsto do out
  • Informal
32 1.5

Make a room or desk neat by putting things in their right place

includes more complete cleaning and readying for actual use
to clean house
vsto do out
21 1.0

To make a house clean and tidy by removing dirt and putting things in order

applies to any space and stresses full preparation for use
to straighten out
vsto do out
12 3.2

To make a place tidy and organized

stresses thorough preparation and cleaning for immediate use
to wash out
vsto do out
9 2.0

Clean something using water to remove dirt or stains

covers cleaning and arranging the whole space for ready use
to straighten up
vsto do out
8 2.7

Make a room neat by putting things away

involves fuller preparation and cleaning rather than quick organizing
to houseclean
vsto do out
  • US
2.1

To clean and tidy a house thoroughly and regularly

is about thorough preparation of any space for immediate use

Antonyms

to mess up
  • Informal
52 3.0

To make something untidy, dirty, or not in the right place

How Clean

to refurbish
31 4.6
to do out
  • UK
1 5.8
to clean
∞ 1.0
to tidy
42 1.0

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

do + out

The sense ‘to clean or prepare thoroughly’ can be partially inferred from 'do' (perform an action) combined with a non-literal use of 'out' implying completion or thoroughness, but the exact cleaning/organising meaning is not a straightforward composition of the literal senses. This particle sense is somewhat metaphorical and variable across dialects, so a B1 learner who knows the words may suspect a completed action but would likely need exposure to learn the specific cleaning/arranging sense.

Etymology

Do out may come from the simple image of taking everything out of a room so you can do it - emptying, cleaning and arranging the space. That's why it means 'to clean, organize, or prepare' a room thoroughly.