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do for. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
do for, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
do for in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
do for you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Verb
do for (third-person singular simple present does for, present participle doing for, simple past did for, past participle done for)
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see do, for.
- (transitive, UK) To doom; to bring about the demise of someone.
Smoking did for him in the end.
She's done for!
1918, Siegfried Sassoon, “The General”, in Counter-Attack and Other Poems:"He's a cheery old card," muttered Harry to Jack / As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack. / * * * * * / But he did for them both by his plan of attack.
1922 February, James Joyce, “”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, , →OCLC, part III [Nostos], page 604:—That bitch, that English whore, did for him, the shebeen proprietor commented. She put the first nail in his coffin.
- (transitive, UK) To prosecute someone for a criminal offence.
He was done for murder.
The police did him for conspiracy to commit burglary.
- (UK, dated, intransitive) To work as a domestic servant for.
- Synonyms: attend, serve, wait on, see also Thesaurus:serve
1915, Frank Thomas Bullen, Recollections:I've left my key in my office in Manchester, my family are at Bournemouth, and the old woman who does for me goes home at nine o'clock.
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