do without

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

do without verb (intr, preposition)

1. to forgo; manage without

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

do¹ /du; unstressed dʊ, də/   v. and auxiliary v., pres. sing. 1st and 2nd pers. do, 3rd does /dʌz/   pres. pl. do; past sing. and pl. did /dɪd/ ;
past part. done /dʌn/ ;
pres. part. do•ing;
 n., pl. dos, do's. 

v. 

1. to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.):
   [~ + object] He does a great comedy act.
2. to execute (a piece of work): [~ + object]
   to do a hauling job.
   [~ + object + object]
   You did me a big favor just then.
3. to accomplish;
   finish:
   [~ + object] He has already done it.
4. to put forth;
   exert:
   [~ + object] Do your best.
5. to be the cause of (good, credit, etc.);
   bring about;
   effect: [~ + object]
   Drugs can do harm to you.
   [~ + object + object]
   Drugs can do you a lot of harm.
6. to deal with, fix, clean, arrange, etc., (anything) as the case may require:
   [~ + object] I did the windows and the laundry.
7. to serve;
   be enough (for);
   suffice for:[~ + object]
   [not: be + ~-ing] This will do us for the present.
   [no object]
   I'm sure this money will do just fine. Will this do?
8. to allow or approve, as by custom or practice:
   [not: be + ~-ing* ~ + object] We don't do that sort of thing in this college.
9. to travel (a distance of);
   cover by traveling:
   [~ + object] We did 30 miles today.
10. to travel at the rate of (a certain speed):
    [~ + object] But officer, I was only doing 65 miles an hour.
11. to make or prepare:
    [~ + object] I'll do the salad.
12. to serve (a term) in prison:
    [~ + object] He did five years in prison.
13. to study or work at or in the field of:
    [~ + object] I have to do my math tonight.
14. to travel through as a sightseer:
    [~ + object] They did Greece in 3 weeks.
15. Slang Terms to use (drugs), esp. habitually:
    [~ + object] He had been doing a lot of cocaine.
16. to act or conduct oneself;
    behave:
    [no object] Do as I say, not as I do.
17. to get along;
    fare;
    manage:
    [no object] How are you doing at work?
18. to be in a specified state of health:
    [no object] Mother and child are doing fine.

auxiliary v. [ ~ + root form of a verb]

19. • (used in questions before the subject):
      Do you like music? When did he leave?
    • (used in negative sentences before the word not, unless the main verb is be):
      I do not like you. I don't care. I didn't see you last night.
    • (used in certain inverted constructions before the subject):
      Seldom does one see such greed.
    • (used to emphasize the main verb):
      Do come up and see me some time. But I did tell you about the test!
    • (used to stand for, or repeat, another verb already mentioned):
      I think as you do (= I think as you think). I enjoy jogging and John does, too (= and John enjoys jogging, too). John enjoys jogging, doesn't he?
20. do away with, [~ + away + with + object]
    • to put an end to;
      abolish:
      We did away with that old custom years ago.
    • to kill:
      He did away with most of his rivals.
21. do for, [~ + for + object]
    • [usually: be + done + for] to cause the defeat, ruin, or death of:
      I'll really be done for if I don't finish this work.
    • British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] to keep house for;
      manage or provide for.
22. do in, [~ + object + in]
    • to kill;
      murder:
      They did him in with a knife.
    • to tire out or exhaust:
      All that hard work really did me in.
23. do out of, [~ + object + out + of + object] [Informal.] to swindle;
    cheat:
    They did him out of his life savings.
24. do over:
    • to redecorate: [~ + object + over]
      They did the room over.
      [~ + over + object]
      You've done over the entire living room; it looks great.
    • to do again: [~ + object + over]
      Do the work over; it's a mess.
      [~ + over + object]
      You'll have to do over the work; it's a mess.
25. do up:
    • [~ + up + object] to wrap and tie up:
      They did up the package and mailed it for me.
    • to pin up or arrange (the hair): [~ + up + object]
      She did up her hair in a bun.
      [~ + object + up]
      She did her hair up in a bun.
    • [~ + up + object] to renovate or clean:
      They did up the old apartment and rented it out.
    • [~ + up + object] to fasten:
      Do up your coat.
    • [~ + up + object] to dress:
      The children were all done up in costumes.
26. do with, [can/could + ~ + with + object] to benefit from;
    use:
    I could surely do with a cup of coffee right about now.
27. do without:
    • to forgo;
      dispense with: [~ + without + object]
      We'll just have to do without a car until they fix it.
      [no object]
      We'll just have to do without for a while.

n. [countable]

28. Informal Terms a burst of frenzied activity;
    action;
    commotion.
29. Informal Terms a hairdo.
30. British Terms a festive social gathering;
    party.

Idioms

31. Idioms dos and don'ts, [plural] customs, rules, or regulations.

do•a•ble, adj.: 

He assured me my project was doable.

do² /doʊ/   n. [countable] , pl. dos. 

1. Music and Dance the musical syllable used for the first note of a scale.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

do¹  (do̅o̅; unstressed dŏŏ, də), v.  and auxiliary v., pres. sing. 1st pers. do, 2nd do  or (Archaic) do•est  or dost, 3rd does  or (Archaic) do•eth  or doth, pres. pl. do*  past sing. 1st pers. did, 2nd did  or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past pl. did;
 past part. done;
 pres. part. do•ing;
 n., pl. dos, do's. 
v.t. 

1. to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.):
   Do nothing until you hear the bell.
2. to execute (a piece or amount of work):
   to do a hauling job.
3. to accomplish;
   finish;
   complete:
   He has already done his homework.
4. to put forth;
   exert:
   Do your best.
5. to be the cause of (good, harm, credit, etc.);
   bring about;
   effect.
6. to render, give, or pay (homage, justice, etc.).
7. to deal with, fix, clean, arrange, move, etc., (anything) as the case may require:
   to do the dishes.
8. to travel;
   traverse:
   We did 30 miles today.
9. to serve;
   suffice for:
   This will do us for the present.
10. to condone or approve, as by custom or practice:
    That sort of thing simply isn't done.
11. to travel at the rate of (a specified speed):
    He was doing 80 when they arrested him.
12. to make or prepare:
    I'll do the salad.
13. to serve (a term of time) in prison, or, sometimes, in office.
14. to create, form, or bring into being:
    She does wonderful oil portraits.
15. to translate into or change the form or language of:
    MGM did the book into a movie.
16. to study or work at or in the field of:
    I have to do my math tonight.
17. to explore or travel through as a sightseer:
    They did Greece in three weeks.
18. (used with a pronoun, as it or that, or with a general noun, as thing, that refers to a previously mentioned action):
    You were supposed to write thank-you letters; do it before tomorrow, please.
19. Informal Terms to wear out;
    exhaust;
    tire:
    That last set of tennis did me.
20. Informal Terms to cheat, trick, or take advantage of:
    That crooked dealer did him for $500 at poker.
21. Informal Terms to attend or participate in:
    Let's do lunch next week.
22. Slang Terms to use (a drug or drugs), esp. habitually:
    The police report said he was doing cocaine.

v.i. 

23. to act or conduct oneself;
    be in action;
    behave.
24. Slang Terms to rob;
    steal from:
    The law got him for doing a lot of banks.
25. to proceed:
    to do wisely.
26. to get along;
    fare;
    manage:
    to do without an automobile.
27. to be in health, as specified:
    Mother and child are doing fine.
28. to serve or be satisfactory, as for the purpose;
    be enough;
    suffice:
    Will this do?
29. to finish or be finished.
30. to happen;
    take place;
    transpire:
    What's doing at the office?
31. (used as a substitute to avoid repetition of a verb or full verb expression):
    I think as you do.

auxiliary verb. 

32. (used in interrogative, negative, and inverted constructions):
    Do you like music? I don't care. Seldom do we witness such catastrophes.
33. [Archaic.] (used in imperatives with you or thou expressed;
    and occasionally as a metric filler in verse):
    Do thou hasten to the king's side. The wind did blow, the rain did fall.
34. (used to lend emphasis to a principal verb):
    Do visit us!
35. Idioms do a number on (someone). See number (def. 27).
36. Idioms do away with:
    • to put an end to;
      abolish.
    • to kill.
37. do by, to deal with;
    treat:
    He had always done well by his family.
38. do for:
    • to cause the defeat, ruin, or death of.
    • British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] to cook and keep house for;
      manage or provide for.
39. do in, [Informal.]
    • to kill, esp. to murder.
    • to injure gravely or exhaust;
      wear out;
      ruin:
      The tropical climate did them in.
    • to cheat or swindle:
      He was done in by an unscrupulous broker.
40. Idioms do one proud. See proud (def. 11).
41. Idioms do one's number. See number (def. 28).
42. do one's (own) thing. See thing ¹ (def. 17).
43. Idioms do or die, to make a supreme effort.
44. do out of, [Informal.] to swindle;
    cheat:
    A furniture store did me out of several hundred dollars.
45. do over, to redecorate.
46. do time, [Informal.] to serve a term in prison:
    It's hard to get a decent job once you've done time.
47. Idioms do to death. See death (def. 15).
48. do up, [Informal.]
    • to wrap and tie up.
    • to pin up or arrange (the hair).
    • to renovate;
      launder;
      clean.
    • to wear out;
      tire.
    • to fasten:
      Do up your coat.
    • to dress:
      The children were all done up in funny costumes.
49. do with, to gain advantage or benefit from;
    make use of:
    I could do with more leisure time.
50. do without:
    • to forgo;
      dispense with.
    • to dispense with the thing mentioned:
      The store doesn't have any, so you'll have to do without.
51. Idioms have to do with. See have (def. 36).
52. Idioms make do, to get along with what is at hand, despite its inadequacy:
    I can't afford a new coat so I have to make do with this one.

n. 

53. Informal Terms a burst of frenzied activity;
    action;
    commotion.
54. Informal Terms a hairdo or hair styling.
55. British Terms a swindle;
    hoax.
56. British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] a festive social gathering;
    party.
57. Idioms dos and don'ts, customs, rules, or regulations:
    The dos and don'ts of polite manners are easy to learn.

• bef. 900; Middle English, Old English dōn; cognate with Dutch doen, German tun; akin to Latin -dere to put, facere to make, do, Greek tithénai to set, put, Sanskrit dadhāti (he) puts

Synonyms

• 1, 25. act.
• 3. Do, accomplish, achieve mean to bring some action to a conclusion.
  Do is the general word:
  He did a great deal of hard work.
  Accomplish and achieve both connote successful completion of an undertaking.
  Accomplish emphasizes attaining a desired goal through effort, skill, and perseverance:
  to accomplish what one has hoped for.
  Achieve emphasizes accomplishing something important, excellent, or great:
  to achieve a major breakthrough.

do²  (dō), n., pl. dos. [Music.]

1. Music and Dance the syllable used for the first tone or keynote of a diatonic scale.
2. Music and Dance (in the fixed system of solmization) the tone C. Cf. sol-fa (def. 1), ut. 

• Italian, inverted variant of ut; see gamut
• 1745–55

do., 

1. ditto.

D/O, 

1. delivery order.

Also, d.o. 
D.O., 

1. Grammar Also, DO, d.o. direct object.
2. Doctor of Optometry.
3. Doctor of Osteopathy.