1 B1 idiomatic informal
To completely exhaust someone.
"That ten-mile hike absolutely did me in — I slept for twelve hours."
separable
do in
B1 informal separable transitive
To exhaust someone completely; to injure or harm something; or to kill someone. (Informal)
In plain English
To make someone extremely tired, hurt, or — in strong slang — to kill someone.
What does "do in" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To kill someone. (Informal)
"The detective suspected the business partner had done the old man in for the inheritance."
separable
3 B1 idiomatic informal
To injure a part of the body.
"He did his knee in during the first game of the season."
separable
Usage tip
Very common in British English. In everyday speech, most commonly means to exhaust ('that run did me in'). The 'kill' sense is informal and often appears in crime fiction. Can also mean to injure a body part.
Words that pair with "do in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
back knee run exertion victim himself
How to conjugate "do in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
do in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
does in
he/she/it
Past simple
did in
yesterday
Past participle
done in
have + pp
-ing form
doing in
continuous
Hear "do in" in the wild
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Other ways to say "do in"
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