Meaning & use
deed
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Meanings
nouncountableformalliterary
Something a person does, especially when it is important, brave, kind or wrong.
Grammar: Countable: a good deed, evil deeds.
Patterns
- a deed of something
- do a deed
The firefighter was praised for his brave deed.
She believed that a good deed would be rewarded in time.
Stories of heroic deeds spread through the town.
nouncountablelegal
A signed legal paper that shows who owns a piece of land or a building, or that passes ownership to someone.
Grammar: Countable: the deed to the house, three deeds.
Patterns
- the deed to something
- transfer a deed
The lawyer filed the deed with the county office.
When she bought the cottage, she received the deed in the mail.
He kept the deed to the land in a fireproof box.
verbtransitivelegalAmerican
To transfer ownership of property to another person by a signed legal document.
Grammar: Takes an object, usually property, often followed by to: deed the house to her son.
Patterns
- deed something to someone
The farmer deeded the north field to his daughter.
She deeded her share of the house to her brother.
They deeded the land to the town for use as a park.
Word forms
| plural | deeds |
|---|---|
| third person singular | deeds |
| past tense | deeded |
| -ing form | deeding |
Common combinations
- a good deed
- Helping a neighbor was his good deed of the day.
- brave deed
- The brave deed earned her a medal.
- title deed
- The title deed proves who owns the cottage.
- in word and deed
- He supported his friends in word and deed.
- deed of trust
- The bank holds a deed of trust on the house.
Synonyms and how they differ
- act
- Act is the general word for anything done, whereas deed suggests something significant, noticed or morally weighted.
- feat
- Feat stresses an impressive achievement that takes skill or courage, while deed can also be ordinary or even wicked.
- action
- Action is neutral and often refers to doing something in general, while deed points to a single remarkable act.
- title
- Title means the legal right of ownership, while a deed is the document that proves or transfers it.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: deed or dead?
deed vs dead
Dead means no longer alive, while a deed is an act or a legal document. The two words sound a little alike.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'deed' in its legal sense?
Choose one answer.
A deed recorded at a courthouse is a legal document proving ownership. The other options use deed to mean an act.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.