Meaning & use
good deed
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
a kind or helpful act that someone does for another person, often without being asked
Grammar: Countable: use a/an or a plural — do a good deed, perform good deeds.
Patterns
- do a good deed
- perform a good deed
- a good deed for someone
Helping the old man carry his bags was a simple good deed.
She tries to do one good deed every day, even if it is just holding a door open.
The school gave him a certificate for his good deeds in the neighborhood.
Word forms
| plural | good deeds |
|---|
Common combinations
- do a good deed
- He did a good deed by returning the lost wallet.
- perform a good deed
- The volunteers performed good deeds all weekend.
- a good deed for someone
- Cooking dinner for her sick neighbor was a good deed for someone in need.
- a small good deed
- Even a small good deed can brighten someone's day.
Synonyms and how they differ
- kindness
- Kindness is the quality or feeling; a good deed is the specific act you do because of it.
- favor
- A favor is usually something you do because someone asked you; a good deed is often done without being asked.
- good turn
- Good turn is a very similar but more old-fashioned phrase, common in the saying 'one good turn deserves another'.
Opposites
Word family
- do-gooder noun
- A person who tries to help others, often in a way that is seen as annoying or interfering.
Commonly confused: good deed or good deed?
good deed vs good deed
Do not confuse with 'good dead', which is not a phrase; 'deed' means an action, while 'dead' means no longer alive.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'good deed' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The verb that goes with 'good deed' is 'do' (or 'perform'), so 'did a good deed' is correct. 'Made', 'took', and 'gave' do not collocate with 'deed' in this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “good deed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.