Word of the Day: Undo
To undo something is to reverse an action or return to an original situation. The prefix “un” makes the root word “do” negative, but it is also suggests a reversal.
| simple | past | past participle |
|---|---|---|
|
undo
|
undid
|
undone
|
- We’re trying to undo a problem that we created.
- The boy undid his seatbelt and got out of the car. (This sentence is in the past tense.)
- My shoelaces came undone. (There were tied and then they became untied.)
- If you make a mistake while editing a document, pushing command + z will undo it.
- Go to Edit and click on Undo. (In this sentence, “undo” is a noun.)
- Years of economic progress in the country were undone by a dictator who quickly rose to power. (This sentence is in the past tense, passive voice.)
- In some situations, it’s impossible to undo what has already been done.
- Getting involved with organized crime was the beginning of the young man’s undoing. (In this sentence, “undoing” is a gerund. It means his personal situation became very bad.)
- Undoing years and years of polluting and neglecting our environment will take several decades.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with U page to see the list of all words starting with letter U. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
