do-good

[ doo-good ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

of or befitting a do-gooder.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of do-good¹

First recorded in 1965–70; back formation from do-gooder

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Idioms and Phrases

Act in an upright, moral way; engage in philanthropy. For example, Social workers are trained to help people to help themselves, not simply going around doing good . This term was first recorded in a.d. 725. Also see do any good ; do one good .

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Example Sentences

Unlike many do-good products, Garden Fresh Farms does not exist as a social good company.

From The Daily Beast

Here are your will me be ready; What would ye that we should do?Good Deeds.

From Project Gutenberg

We'd have four good meals every day and baths every morning, and we'd only feel virtuous and 'smarmy' and do-good-to-the-poor-y.

From Project Gutenberg

Do-good is exhortatory enough, but it rather smacks of works; hence, possibly, the reason why I have only seen it once.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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