undo

See also: -undo

English

Pronunciation

  • (US, UK)[1] IPA(key): /ʌnˈduː/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -uː
  • Homophone: undue (yod-dropping)

Etymology 1

    From Middle English undōn, from Old English ondōn, from Proto-West Germanic *andadōn (“to undo”), equivalent to un- +‎ do. Cognate with West Frisian ûndwaan, ûntdwaan (“to undo; rid”), Dutch ontdoen (“to undo”).

    Verb

    undo (third-person singular simple present undoes, present participle undoing, simple past undid, past participle undone) (transitive)

    1. To reverse the effects of an action.
      Fortunately, we can undo most of the damage to the system by the war.
      What's done can't be undone.
      • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 4:
        Pro. […] it was a torment / To lay vpon the damn'd, which Sycorax / Could not againe vndoe ; it was mine Art, / When I arriu'd, and heard thee, that made gape / The Pyne, and let thee out.
      • 2011 October 15, Michael Da Silva, “Wigan 1 - 3 Bolton”, in BBC Sport‎[1], archived from the original on 4 November 2025:
        But Wigan undid their good work by conceding an avoidable second goal deep into first-half injury time.
      • 2019 April 6, Caleb Quinley, “Thailand: Anti-military party leader faces sedition charges”, in Al Jazeera‎[2], Doha: Al Jazeera, archived from the original on 4 March 2020:
        And judging by how well the progressive and youth-favoured party did, many observers suspect this latest round of legal charges are a response to Future Forward's commitment to undo the legacy of military rule and undertake democratic reforms.
    2. (transitive) To unfasten.
      Could you undo my buckle for me?
    3. (transitive, colloquial) To unfasten the clothing of (a person).
      • 1971, Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde (film)
        PROSTITUTE: Undo me. There's a dear.
    4. (figuratively) To impoverish or ruin, as in reputation; to cause the downfall of.
    Synonyms
    Antonyms
    Derived terms
    Descendants
    • → Welsh: andwyo
    Translations

    Noun

    undo (plural undos)

    1. (computing) An operation that reverses a previous action.
      How many undos does this program support?
    Translations

    Etymology 2

    Adjective

    undo

    1. Misspelling of undue.

    Further reading

    References

    1. ^ “undo”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

    Anagrams

    Latin

    Etymology

      From unda (“a wave”).

      Pronunciation

      Verb

      undō (present infinitive undāre, perfect active undāvī, supine undātum); first conjugation

      1. to rise in waves
      2. to overflow with, abound in
      3. to wave, undulate

      Conjugation

         Conjugation of undō (first conjugation)
      indicative singular plural
      first second third first second third
      active present undō undās undat undāmus undātis undant
      imperfect undābam undābās undābat undābāmus undābātis undābant
      future undābō undābis undābit undābimus undābitis undābunt
      perfect undāvī undāvistī undāvit undāvimus undāvistis undāvērunt,
      undāvēre
      pluperfect undāveram undāverās undāverat undāverāmus undāverātis undāverant
      future perfect undāverō undāveris undāverit undāverimus undāveritis undāverint
      passive present undor undāris,
      undāre       		undātur undāmur undāminī undantur
      imperfect undābar undābāris,
      undābāre       		undābātur undābāmur undābāminī undābantur
      future undābor undāberis,
      undābere       		undābitur undābimur undābiminī undābuntur
      perfect undātus + present active indicative of sum
      pluperfect undātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
      future perfect undātus + future active indicative of sum
      subjunctive singular plural
      first second third first second third
      active present undem undēs undet undēmus undētis undent
      imperfect undārem undārēs undāret undārēmus undārētis undārent
      perfect undāverim undāverīs undāverit undāverīmus undāverītis undāverint
      pluperfect undāvissem undāvissēs undāvisset undāvissēmus undāvissētis undāvissent
      passive present under undēris,
      undēre       		undētur undēmur undēminī undentur
      imperfect undārer undārēris,
      undārēre       		undārētur undārēmur undārēminī undārentur
      perfect undātus + present active subjunctive of sum
      pluperfect undātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
      imperative singular plural
      first second third first second third
      active present — undā — — undāte —
      future — undātō undātō — undātōte undantō
      passive present — undāre — — undāminī —
      future — undātor undātor — — undantor
      non-finite forms infinitive participle
      active passive active passive
      present undāre undārī undāns —
      future undātūrum esse undātum īrī undātūrus undandus
      perfect undāvisse undātum esse — undātus
      future perfect — undātum fore — —
      perfect potential undātūrum fuisse — — —
      verbal nouns gerund supine
      genitive dative accusative ablative accusative ablative
      undandī undandō undandum undandō undātum undātū

      Derived terms

      Descendants

      References

      Lindu

      Noun

      undo

      1. flattery

      Old English

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /ˈunˌdoː/

      Verb

      undō

      1. inflection of undōn:
        1. first-person singular present indicative
        2. singular present subjunctive
        3. singular imperative
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