Word
done
US/ˈdən/
UK/dˈʌn/
Definitions
01finished
A2 · Elementary
adj. finished or completed.
adj. having reached the end of a task or process; completed.
“I will go for a walk as soon as my homework is done.”
“Once the final report is done, the committee will present its findings to the board of directors for a final vote.”
Usage
Usually used after the verb 'to be'.
Antonyms
02fully cooked
A2 · Elementary Cooking
adj. cooked enough to be eaten.
adj. cooked to the required or desired degree.
“Check the chicken with a fork to see if it is done.”
“The chef insisted that the steak was done, despite the customer's complaint that the centre remained slightly too rare for their preference.”
Usage
Often used in the question 'Is it done yet?'.
Antonyms
03exhausted
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
adj. too tired or annoyed to continue with something.
adj. physically exhausted or mentally depleted; often used to express a refusal to tolerate a situation further.
“I have been working for twelve hours and I am just done.”
“After the third technical failure in an hour, the lead developer declared she was done and walked out of the server room.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'I am done'.
Teaching tip
In modern slang, 'I am so done' often implies being fed up with someone's behaviour rather than just being tired.
Antonyms
04socially acceptable
C1 · Advanced British English · Formal
adj. socially acceptable or fashionable.
adj. conforming to social standards of behaviour or fashion.
“In some formal offices, wearing jeans is simply not the done thing.”
“He quickly realised that questioning the host's political views was simply not done in such conservative social circles.”
Usage
Usually used in the negative 'it is not done'.
Teaching tip
This is a somewhat old-fashioned or upper-class way to describe social etiquette.
Synonyms
Antonyms
05past participle of do
A2 · Elementary
v. the form of the verb 'do' used with 'have' or 'has'.
v. the past participle of the irregular verb 'do'.
“She has done a lot of work to improve her English this year.”
“The research team has done extensive field work to ensure the data reflects the actual conditions of the habitat.”
Usage
Requires an auxiliary verb like 'have', 'has', or 'had' in standard English.
Pitfall
I have did my chores.
I have done my chores.
Use 'done' with the auxiliary verb 'have'; 'did' is the simple past and stands alone.
Etymology
From Middle English don, idon, ydon, ȝedon, gedon, from Old English dōn, ġedōn, from Proto-West Germanic dān, from Proto-Germanic dēnaz (past participle of *dōną (“to do”)). Equivalent to do + -en (past participle ending). Cognate with Scots dune, deen, dene, dane (“done”), Saterland Frisian däin (“done”), West Frisian dien (“done”), Dutch gedaan (“done”), German Low German daan (“done”), German getan (“done”). More at do.
From Middle English don; equivalent to do + -en (plural simple present ending).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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