Word
doesn't
Phoneticsdoes·nt
Definition
v. Stands for 'does not'. You use it to say that a person, animal, or thing is not doing something or that something is not true.
v. Abbreviation for 'does not'. The negative contraction of the third-person singular present indicative of 'do', used as an auxiliary to form negative statements and questions.
Examples
“He doesn't like coffee.”
“The new software doesn't work on older computers, so we need to upgrade our hardware.”
“While the theory sounds plausible in a vacuum, it doesn't account for the socio-economic variables that typically dictate consumer behavior in emerging markets.”
Examples
simple
“He doesn't like coffee.”
contextual
“The new software doesn't work on older computers, so we need to upgrade our hardware.”
complex
“While the theory sounds plausible in a vacuum, it doesn't account for the socio-economic variables that typically dictate consumer behavior in emerging markets.”
Usage
Used with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it, or a singular noun).
Teaching tip
Learners often struggle with the 'double s' error; remind them that the third-person marker moves to the auxiliary, leaving the main verb in its base form.
Pitfall
She doesn't likes the new office.
She doesn't like the new office.
After 'doesn't', always use the base form of the verb without an 's'.
Etymology
From does + -n't.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/doesnt