# do in

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/do-in
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to make someone feel extremely tired or to kill someone; it can also mean to damage something badly.

For teachers: to exhaust or fatigue someone; in a different register, to murder or kill; also used to describe damaging or ruining an object or body part.

## Examples

- That long walk really did me in.
- He didn't realize that lifting those heavy boxes would do his back in for the rest of the week.
- The detective suspected that the rival gang had finally decided to do him in over the unpaid debt.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The workout did in me." but "The workout did me in." — when using a pronoun like 'me' or 'him', it must go between 'do' and 'in'.

## Usage notes

- highly informal; the 'exhaust' sense is common in daily speech, while the 'kill' sense is often found in crime fiction.
- Teaching tip: focus on the 'exhaust' sense for general learners, but mention the 'kill' sense as a common trope in movies and books to avoid confusion.

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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.