"that will do" meaning in English

See that will do in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Phrase

Forms: that'll do [alternative]
Head templates: {{head|en|phrase}} that will do
  1. (idiomatic) said to confirm that something is suitable in quantity or in a particular quality Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: that will suffice, okay, that's enough, good
    Sense id: en-that_will_do-en-phrase-YTg6LGub Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bashkir translations, Terms with Eastern Mari translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Navajo translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 64 36 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 63 37 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 66 34 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 69 31 Disambiguation of Terms with Bashkir translations: 64 36 Disambiguation of Terms with Eastern Mari translations: 75 25 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 64 36 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 64 36 Disambiguation of Terms with Navajo translations: 60 40 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 61 39 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 71 29
  2. (idiomatic) an interjection used to tell a person or animal to stop what they are doing Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: stop, heel, alright Related terms: will do, enough, can-do, no can do
    Sense id: en-that_will_do-en-phrase-zO9ujJup
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Translations (expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough): етәр (yetər) (Bashkir), сита (sita) (Eastern Mari), ça suffit (French), ça le fait (French), kātirawhe (Maori), kʼadí (Navajo), wystarczy (Polish), aqueso funcará [neuter] (Spanish), con aqueso basta [neuter] (Spanish), ansí está bien (Spanish), pasa piola [Peru] (Spanish)
Disambiguation of 'expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough': 51 49
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "that'll do",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase"
      },
      "expansion": "that will do",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "63 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "66 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "69 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bashkir translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "75 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Eastern Mari translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "60 40",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Navajo translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "61 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "71 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1871, Mark Twain, chapter IV, in Eye Openers: Good Things, Immensely Funny Sayings & Stories That Will Bring a Smile Upon the Gruffest Countenance, page 38:",
          "text": "I said, \"Your Royal Highness : on or abou the 10th day of October, 1861, John Wilson Mackenzie, of Rotterdam, Chemung county. New Jersey, deceased, contracted with the General Government to furnish to General Sherman the sum total of thirty barrels of beef—\"\n\"That will do, sir—that will do; this office has nothing to do with contracts for beef.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1919, Julia E. Park, Trial for the Murder of the King's English, page 12:",
          "text": "C. — Mr. Smart Aleck, what does you know about this case?\nSmart A. — I heard the accused say, \"them there Germans needs more taters.\"\nMiss C. — What else did you hear him say?\nSmart A.— Nothing but I lost my—\nMiss C. — Lost what?\nSmart A. — Lost my tater.\nMiss C— That will do for you. (To Solicitor) You may have the witness.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Jeremy Strong, chapter 6, in The Indoor Pirates On Treasure Island, page 77:",
          "text": "“That will do me nicely,’ he told the others. ‘I don’t like crocodiles — too many teeth.’",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "said to confirm that something is suitable in quantity or in a particular quality"
      ],
      "id": "en-that_will_do-en-phrase-YTg6LGub",
      "links": [
        [
          "confirm",
          "confirm"
        ],
        [
          "suitable",
          "suitable"
        ],
        [
          "quantity",
          "quantity"
        ],
        [
          "quality",
          "quality"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) said to confirm that something is suitable in quantity or in a particular quality"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "that will suffice"
        },
        {
          "word": "okay"
        },
        {
          "word": "that's enough"
        },
        {
          "word": "good"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009, Caroline Colie, Australian shepherds : everything about purchase, care, nutrition, behavior, and training, page 80:",
          "text": "Your dog should know (at least) how to down, stay, and come, and should also know \"That Will Do\" (or “OK\")...\"That Will Do\": used to release the dog from work & call it off the stock.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Joanne Rowling, “5, Diagon Alley”, in Harry Potter Omnibus, page 78:",
          "text": "Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.\n“That will do,” he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "an interjection used to tell a person or animal to stop what they are doing"
      ],
      "id": "en-that_will_do-en-phrase-zO9ujJup",
      "links": [
        [
          "interjection",
          "interjection"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "animal",
          "animal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) an interjection used to tell a person or animal to stop what they are doing"
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "35 65",
          "word": "will do"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "35 65",
          "word": "enough"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "35 65",
          "word": "can-do"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "35 65",
          "word": "no can do"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "stop"
        },
        {
          "word": "heel"
        },
        {
          "word": "alright"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "ba",
      "lang": "Bashkir",
      "roman": "yetər",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "етәр"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "ça suffit"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "ça le fait"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "kātirawhe"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "mhr",
      "lang": "Eastern Mari",
      "roman": "sita",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "сита"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "nv",
      "lang": "Navajo",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "kʼadí"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "wystarczy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "aqueso funcará"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "con aqueso basta"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "ansí está bien"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "51 49",
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "tags": [
        "Peru"
      ],
      "word": "pasa piola"
    }
  ],
  "word": "that will do"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrases",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Bashkir translations",
    "Terms with Eastern Mari translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Navajo translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "that'll do",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase"
      },
      "expansion": "that will do",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "will do"
    },
    {
      "word": "enough"
    },
    {
      "word": "can-do"
    },
    {
      "word": "no can do"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1871, Mark Twain, chapter IV, in Eye Openers: Good Things, Immensely Funny Sayings & Stories That Will Bring a Smile Upon the Gruffest Countenance, page 38:",
          "text": "I said, \"Your Royal Highness : on or abou the 10th day of October, 1861, John Wilson Mackenzie, of Rotterdam, Chemung county. New Jersey, deceased, contracted with the General Government to furnish to General Sherman the sum total of thirty barrels of beef—\"\n\"That will do, sir—that will do; this office has nothing to do with contracts for beef.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1919, Julia E. Park, Trial for the Murder of the King's English, page 12:",
          "text": "C. — Mr. Smart Aleck, what does you know about this case?\nSmart A. — I heard the accused say, \"them there Germans needs more taters.\"\nMiss C. — What else did you hear him say?\nSmart A.— Nothing but I lost my—\nMiss C. — Lost what?\nSmart A. — Lost my tater.\nMiss C— That will do for you. (To Solicitor) You may have the witness.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Jeremy Strong, chapter 6, in The Indoor Pirates On Treasure Island, page 77:",
          "text": "“That will do me nicely,’ he told the others. ‘I don’t like crocodiles — too many teeth.’",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "said to confirm that something is suitable in quantity or in a particular quality"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "confirm",
          "confirm"
        ],
        [
          "suitable",
          "suitable"
        ],
        [
          "quantity",
          "quantity"
        ],
        [
          "quality",
          "quality"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) said to confirm that something is suitable in quantity or in a particular quality"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "that will suffice"
        },
        {
          "word": "okay"
        },
        {
          "word": "that's enough"
        },
        {
          "word": "good"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009, Caroline Colie, Australian shepherds : everything about purchase, care, nutrition, behavior, and training, page 80:",
          "text": "Your dog should know (at least) how to down, stay, and come, and should also know \"That Will Do\" (or “OK\")...\"That Will Do\": used to release the dog from work & call it off the stock.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Joanne Rowling, “5, Diagon Alley”, in Harry Potter Omnibus, page 78:",
          "text": "Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.\n“That will do,” he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "an interjection used to tell a person or animal to stop what they are doing"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "interjection",
          "interjection"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "animal",
          "animal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) an interjection used to tell a person or animal to stop what they are doing"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "stop"
        },
        {
          "word": "heel"
        },
        {
          "word": "alright"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ba",
      "lang": "Bashkir",
      "roman": "yetər",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "етәр"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "ça suffit"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "ça le fait"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "kātirawhe"
    },
    {
      "code": "mhr",
      "lang": "Eastern Mari",
      "roman": "sita",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "сита"
    },
    {
      "code": "nv",
      "lang": "Navajo",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "kʼadí"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "wystarczy"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "aqueso funcará"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "con aqueso basta"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "word": "ansí está bien"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expression to indicate something as being sufficient or enough",
      "tags": [
        "Peru"
      ],
      "word": "pasa piola"
    }
  ],
  "word": "that will do"
}

Download raw JSONL data for that will do meaning in English (5.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-21 using wiktextract (fef8596 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.