do up

verb

did up; done up; doing up; does up

transitive verb

1

: fasten

do up the buttons of a shirt

… an elderly lady with her jacket done up tightly against the wind …

—Sue Lloyd-Roberts

2

a

: to deck (someone) out : clothe

The waitstaff was done up in western attire.

b

: to furnish (something) with something ornamental : decorate

She always does up the house for the holidays.

3

: to prepare (something) for wear or use (as by cleaning or repairing)

"… I'll make the pies and lady fingers tomorrow and do up my white muslin dress. …"

—Lucy Maud Montgomery

4

a

: to wrap (something) up

do up a package

b

: to prepare and preserve (something) for later use : can entry 2, put up

I did up a bushel of tomatoes.

5

: exhaust, wear out

This contact with righteousness has about done me up!

—Sinclair Lewis

Synonyms of do up

• decorate
• adorn

Examples of do up in a Sentence

the whole house had been done up for Halloween

on Wild West Day some of the women came to the office done up as showgirls, while the men were mostly outlaws

Recent Examples on the Web

Bathrooms, stocked with Diptyque amenities, are done up in either Klein blue or blush-pink tiles and feature Hollywood-style mirrors that play up the idea that the metaphorical stage can be yours, too. —Lindsey Tramuta, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026

Guest rooms and suites designed by Jonathan Adler are done up in colorful Palm Beach style, and even the family pup gets five-star treatment here with in-room dog beds, food and water bowls, and homemade treats. —Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 23 May 2026

The entire cabin is done up in two-tone black and Bordeaux Red leather. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 May 2026

Lowit had by that point gained renown and better paychecks for her intimate backstage candids of models and designers — an unguarded moment with Kate Moss done up for the runway, Jean-Michel Basquiat sitting stone still with his cigarette at the Palladium. —Clio Chang, Curbed, 20 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for do up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup