to do one's duty - Glite Dictionary

Examples

Are you ready to do your duty for Rome?

Gladiator (2000)
You do your duty now.

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
You have only done your duty

Les Misérables (2012)
Just doing your duty, huh, is that it?

Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
But regardless of my social standing, I was expected to do my duty.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
No senator can deny you did your duty.

Oppenheimer (2023)
And he's willing to step up and do his duty, by king and country.

Waterloo Bridge (1931)
Well, I've done my duty.

The Proud Rebel (1958)
Do your duty.

Casanova (2005)
Rather, the courage to do one's duty and the tremendous cost of that courage in such a war as this drive Bierce's themes.

Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

to serve

vsto do one's duty

∞ 1.7

To work for someone or act in an official role, often in the military

focuses on fulfilling required responsibilities tied to a role

to perform

vsto do one's duty

∞ 1.3

To do a task or duty

specifies meeting obligations expected from someone's role rather than any action

to exercise

vsto do one's duty

98 3.3

Carry out the duties of a job or role

focuses on meeting responsibilities expected because of someone's position

to discharge

vsto do one's duty

9 5.0

Carry out a duty or task

is about meeting role obligations expected by position

to carry the mail

vsto do one's duty

US

8.2

To do important work well when other people depend on you

emphasizes meeting expected role obligations, not performance quality

Antonyms

to abandon

773 3.1

Leave someone or something behind permanently and without care

to neglect

256 3.8

Fail to care for someone or something you should look after

How Dutiful

to go above and beyond

26 3.7

to do one's duty

Formal

1 3.2

to underdo

1 6.1

Surface Forms

do one's duty infinitive

did one's duty past

done one's duty past participle

doing one's duty present participle

does one's duty third person singular

Morphology

do + one + duty

The meaning 'to fulfill one's responsibilities' is directly derivable from combining 'do' (perform) with 'duty' (responsibility), with 'one's' simply marking possession. This is a regular verb + noun phrase composition found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily understand it.

Etymology

Do one's duty creates a simple picture of someone standing at their post, like a guard or soldier, doing the job they were given, with do meaning to act and duty meaning the job you must do. So, it means 'to do what is expected' or 'to do the things you must do'.