doing

doing — noun

1. Something that a particular person has done or caused to happen, especially when

1.名詞B1
釋義

Something that a particular person has done or caused to happen, especially when people are talking about who is responsible.

例句

The success of the auction was entirely her doing, from the decorations to the invitations.

be + possessive + doing for responsibility

Sari insisted the broken window was not her doing and asked for the security footage.

同義詞
  • responsibility

    focuses on duty or blame rather than action

  • work

    emphasises the effort put in, not the ownership of the result

文法句型

possessive + doing

be + possessive + doing

用法筆記

Nearly always appears with a possessive determiner (his, her, its, their, someone's). Rarely used in questions or negative statements.

常見錯誤

❌It was doing of Mary.
✅It was Mary's doing.
💡The possessive form must come directly before 'doing'.

2. Used to say that a task or goal is very difficult and demands a lot of time, ene

2.名詞B2
釋義

Used to say that a task or goal is very difficult and demands a lot of time, energy, or skill.

例句

Getting thirty guests to agree on a restaurant took some doing, but we found a Thai place at last.

take some doing for difficulty

Reuben fixed the old motorcycle engine himself, though it took some doing and a whole weekend.

同義詞
  • effort

    a more general word; 'doing' specifically suggests that something was achieved despite difficulty

  • struggle

    stronger, implies hardship or resistance

反義詞
  • breeze

    informal; opposite meaning — something very easy

文法句型

take some doing

need some doing

用法筆記

Almost exclusively appears in the fixed expression 'take some doing' or 'need some doing'. Does not occur freely with adjectives (not 'hard doing').

常見錯誤

❌It took a doing to finish the project.
✅It took some doing to finish the project.
💡'some doing' is the fixed form, not 'a doing'.

3. Things that happen or that someone does, especially when they seem unusual, inte

3.名詞B2
釋義

Things that happen or that someone does, especially when they seem unusual, interesting, or slightly secret.

例句

The neighbours reported strange doings at the old warehouse late at night to the police.

strange doings for unusual events

Aylin told me all the office doings I had missed while I was away on holiday.

同義詞
  • activities

    neutral and more common; 'doings' often implies something noteworthy or gossip-worthy

  • happenings

    similar tone — informal and slightly mysterious

  • goings-on

    informal, often suggests secret or suspicious events

文法句型

plural: doings

用法筆記

Usually appears in the plural form 'doings'. Often carries a tone of mild curiosity or amusement about what people have been up to.

4. A word that stands in for the name of a small item or gadget when that name has

4.名詞B1
釋義

A word that stands in for the name of a small item or gadget when that name has slipped your mind.

例句

Pass me that little silver doing from the top drawer of the toolbox, please.

little + doing for unnamed small object

I need a plastic doing with a hole in the middle to fix the shower head.

同義詞
  • thingy

    equally informal; slightly more common in British English

  • whatsit

    informal British; used the same way

  • doohickey

    informal American English equivalent

文法句型

little + doing

small + doing

用法筆記

Informal, used mainly in spoken British English. Equivalent to 'thingy' or 'whatsit'. Common when the speaker assumes the listener can guess what object is meant from context.

常見錯誤

❌Can you pass me the doing?' (no context)
✅Can you pass me the little plastic doing on the shelf?
💡The listener needs enough context to identify which object you mean.