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Done

adj. capable, joyful everyday

What it means

Meaning 1

Successfully finished or brought to completion.

Reach for it when marking work as complete and ready to leave alone or use

The accessibility review was done before the invitations went out.

Meaning 2

Settled by agreement or no longer open to dispute.

Reach for it when confirming that a decision, arrangement, or exchange has been accepted

Once both families approved the boundary, the matter was done.

Words to choose between 7

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2
everyday
professional
formal

Meaning 1: Successfully finished or brought to completion.

  • everyday

    finished

    Fits when the final action in a task has been completed

    Careful Finished can suggest exhaustion or termination and does not guarantee the result is ready to use.

  • everyday

    ready

    Fits when something can now be used, presented, or started

    Careful Something can be ready for one stage while later work remains unfinished.

  • professional

    complete

    Fits when every required part is present

    Careful Complete can describe a full set before anyone has finished acting on it.

  • formal

    accomplished

    Fits when completing a difficult goal deserves recognition

    Careful Accomplished is too celebratory for routine work and can also describe a skilled person.

Meaning 2: Settled by agreement or no longer open to dispute.

  • everyday

    agreed

    Fits when all necessary parties have accepted the terms

    Careful Agreed identifies consent but does not mean implementation or discussion is finished.

  • professional

    resolved

    Fits when a problem or dispute has received an answer

    Careful Resolved implies a prior difficulty and may overstate a simple agreement.

  • professional

    settled

    Fits when disagreement has ended in an accepted decision

    Careful Settled can mean merely stable and sounds wrong for a completed physical task.

Opposites 4

  • unfinished
  • incomplete
  • unsettled
  • disputed

Common phrases 4

  • job done

    With the final safety label attached, the volunteers called the job done.

  • nearly done

    The repairs are nearly done, with only the handrail inspection remaining.

  • done deal

    The lease is not a done deal until both boards approve it.

  • consider it done

    Once the coordinator confirmed the accessible van, she said to consider it done.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Tawker, Canadian accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated