English Reference

Word

doth

US/ˈdɔθ/

UK/dˈʌθ/

Definition

v. an old-fashioned way of saying 'does'. You will mostly see this in very old books or poems by writers like Shakespeare.

v. the archaic third-person singular present tense of 'do'. Used exclusively in historical, poetic, or liturgical contexts.

Examples

“The lady doth protest too much.”

“In the old poem, the poet writes that the sun doth shine upon the valley.”

Examples

simple

“The lady doth protest too much.”

contextual

“In the old poem, the poet writes that the sun doth shine upon the valley.”

Usage

Archaic form of 'do'; used with a singular subject like 'he', 'she', or 'it'.

Pitfall

They doth go

They do go

'Doth' is strictly for third-person singular subjects; plural subjects require 'do'.

Real-World Examples

“After all, it is not the lie that passeth through the mind but the lie that sinketh in and settleth in it that doth the hurt.”
The Guardian · 23 Aug 2026

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference