do
/də/ verb A1- A syntactic marker in a question whose main verb is not another auxiliary verb or be. · Do you go there often?
- A syntactic marker in negations with the indicative and imperative moods. · I do not go there often.· Do not listen to him.
- A syntactic marker for emphasis with the indicative, imperative, and subjunctive moods. · But I do go sometimes.· Do tell us.
- A syntactic marker that refers back to an earlier verb and allows the speaker to avoid repeating the verb; in most dialects, not used with auxiliaries such as be, though it can be in AAVE. · I play tennis; she does too.· Likes her cappuccino, Mary does. (UK, colloquial)
- Should; ought to (especially in respect of a task to be repeated). · Do I just call every number on the list each time?
- To perform; to execute. · If you want something done, do it yourself.· All you ever do is surf the Internet. What will you do this afternoon?
- To suffice. · make it do or do without· it’s not the best broom, but it will have to do; this will do me, thanks.
- To be reasonable or acceptable. · It simply will not do to have dozens of children running around such a quiet event.
Plural do · He/she/it does · Past did · Past participle done · -ing form doing
Verb forms
- Base form
- do
- He/she/it
- does
- Past
- did
- Past participle
- done
- -ing form
- doing
An irregular verb: learn its past and past participle by heart.
Phrasal verbs and expressions
- do by To perform on behalf of someone or with someone in mind; ...
- do down To belittle or intimidate.
- do in To kill or end; to defeat.
- do off To kill, to bump off
- do out To decorate, tidy, or clean (a place).
- do over To cover with; to smear or spread on to.
- do up To fasten (a piece of clothing, etc.); to tighten (a nut ...
From the library
“No, no, my dear Edmond—my boy—my son!—no; but I did not expect you; and joy, the surprise of seeing you so suddenly—Ah, I feel as if I were going to die.”
Come now, do smile, instead of looking at me so solemnly.
People are always telling me I do.
“If I were sole owner we’d shake hands on it now, my dear Dantès, and call it settled; but I have a partner, and you know the Italian proverb—Chi ha compagno ha padrone—‘He who has a partner has a master.’ But the thing is at least half done, as you have one out of two votes.
Other matches
- do Something that can or should be done. C1
- do A syllable used in solfège to represent the fir... C2
- do The cardinal number occurring after el and befo... C2
- do by To perform on behalf of someone or with someone...
- do down To belittle or intimidate.
- do in To kill or end
- do off To kill, to bump off
- do out To decorate, tidy, or clean
Learn do in real texts
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