# DIY

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/diy
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. home improvement

noun · CEFR B1

Stands for Do It Yourself. The activity of repairing or decorating your home yourself.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Do It Yourself. The practice of performing home maintenance, repairs, or creative projects without professional assistance.

- He spent the whole weekend doing some DIY in the kitchen.
- The rise of online video tutorials has transformed DIY from a niche hobby into a mainstream approach to home renovation.

Usage: Often used as an uncountable noun or as a modifier before another noun.

Teaching tip: While 'DIY' can technically apply to any task, it most commonly refers to home repair and decoration in a British English context.

### 2. made by yourself

adjective · CEFR B1

describes something you make or build yourself rather than buying it ready-made.

For teachers: Relating to or designed for use in do-it-yourself activities; often describes self-made or amateur-built items.

- She followed a DIY guide to build her own bookshelf.
- The band gained a following through their DIY aesthetic, producing their own posters and distributing hand-copied CDs.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it describes.

### 3. to do it yourself

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to do a task yourself, especially one that an expert usually does.

For teachers: To engage in do-it-yourself activities; to perform a technical or manual task without professional help.

- If you want to save money on the repairs, you might have to DIY it.
- Rather than hiring a mechanic, he decided to DIY the brake replacement using tools he borrowed from a neighbour.

Usage: Often used with 'it' as a dummy object.

Teaching tip: Using DIY as a verb is more informal than using it as a noun or adjective.

## Examples

- I spent the whole weekend doing some DIY in the kitchen.
- The local hardware store is always busy on Saturday mornings with people buying supplies for their DIY projects.
- While basic DIY can save homeowners a significant amount of money, complex electrical or plumbing work often requires a certified professional to ensure the building remains up to code.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.