done

1 of 2

past participle of do

also used in several varieties of English (such as African American English) typically before a past tense verb form to communicate that something (such as an action) has ended
"I done learned my mistake and learned to do what's right by it."August Wilson
"You ain't just cooked your goose; you done cremated it, my man!"Mary Monroe

Note: In linguistics, these uses of done are referred to as perfective done or preverbal done. The uses that are specific to African American English, which are unstressed in pronunciation, are also referred to as dən or unstressed done.

done

2 of 2

adjective

1
: arrived at or brought to an end
One more question and we're done.
2
: doomed to failure, defeat, or death
3
: gone by : over
The day of the circus big top is done.
4
: physically exhausted
5
food : cooked sufficiently
Check to see if the meat is done.
6
: conformable to social convention
not the done thing

Examples of done in a Sentence

Adjective Check to see if the meat is done. Getting a divorce just wasn't done at the time.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Owner Jason Boso fixed that, infusing $2 million into the 10-year-old bar on better bathrooms, a covered section of the patio and a re-done kitchen. Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 3 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'done.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of done was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near done

Cite this Entry

“Done.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/done. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

done

1 of 2

past participle of do

done

2 of 2 adjective
1
used to say that something has ended
2
: cooked completely or enough
3
: socially acceptable
divorce just wasn't done at the time
4
: doomed to failure, death, or defeat
5
: physically exhausted

More from Merriam-Webster on done

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