undo
gb/ʌndˈu/ us/ʌndˈu/
A2
Engelsk
~ 8800
Betydninger
0 betydninger
Verb
B1
action
1
reverse or cancel an earlier action
To make something go back to how it was before an action, often by using a button or command, or by removing the effect of the action.
Bruksmønster:
to undo [an action / a change / the damage]
Vanlig feil:
Learners sometimes confuse "undo" with "unfasten" and use it for physical things that open, saying, for example, *"undo the door"* instead of "open the door". "Undo" in this sense is mainly about cancelling the effect of an action or change, not opening physical objects.
Synonymer
reverse (Stresses changing something back to its earlier state, often in a more formal or technical way.)
|
cancel (Focuses on stopping something from having effect, especially arrangements or commands.)
|
revert (Often used in technical or formal contexts for going back to a previous version or state.)
Antonymer
redo (Means to do an action again, often after it has been undone or removed.)
Ordkombinasjoner
undo a change
|undo an action
|undo the damage
|undo the past
|undo years of work
|cannot undo
Temaer
technology
|work
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Eksempler
- If you make a mistake, just press Ctrl+Z to undo your last action.
- Nothing can undo the harm that was done to those families.
- The new policy could undo many of the improvements made over the last decade.
- Is there any way to undo that move in this game?
- Click here to undo all recent changes to the document.
Eksempler for deg som lærer
- You can undo a mistake by clicking this button.
- I wish I could undo what I said to her.
- This update may undo all the work we did last year.
- The government is trying to undo the damage from the storm.
- He quickly undid the change when he saw the problem.
Verb
A2
action
2
unfasten something tied, buttoned, or zipped
To open or make loose something that was closed or held together, like a button, zip, or knot.
Bruksmønster:
to undo [a button / a zip / a knot / a strap]
Vanlig feil:
Learners sometimes overuse "open" instead of "undo" and say *"open your seat belt"* or *"open your buttons"*. In these cases, English normally uses "undo your seat belt" and "undo your buttons" or more specific verbs like "unfasten" and "unbutton".
Synonymer
unfasten (General word for opening something that is fixed closed, slightly more formal.)
|
unbutton (Used only for buttons on clothes or fabric, more specific than "undo".)
|
unzip (Used only for opening something that has a zip, more specific than "undo".)
Antonymer
fasten (Means to close or fix something so it stays shut, the opposite of undoing it.)
Ordkombinasjoner
undo a button
|undo your jacket
|undo a zip
|undo your seat belt
|undo the knot
|undo the strap
Temaer
daily life
|clothing
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Eksempler
- Please undo your seat belt only after the plane has stopped.
- She undid the top button of her shirt to cool down.
- He quickly undid the knot and opened the bag.
- I can't undo this zip; it's stuck.
- The child undid the straps on his shoes by himself.
Eksempler for deg som lærer
- You should undo your shoes before you take them off.
- She undid her coat when she came inside.
- He undid the belt and hung up his trousers.
- Can you undo this knot for me?
- The man undid the zip on his bag.
Verb
formal
C1
action
3
cause ruin, failure, or downfall
To ruin a person or thing, or to cause someone to lose success and fail.
Bruksmønster:
to undo [someone / something]
Vanlig feil:
This meaning is more formal and often appears in writing. Learners sometimes try to use it in very casual speech where "ruin" or "mess up" would sound more natural, for example saying *"The test undid me"* in everyday talk instead of "The test really messed me up".
Synonymer
ruin (Common and direct; often sounds stronger and more emotional than "undo".)
|
destroy (Very strong; suggests complete damage or loss, often physical or emotional.)
Antonymer
save (Means to stop someone or something from failing or being ruined.)
Ordkombinasjoner
undo him
|undo her
|undo their efforts
|be undone by [something]
|pride will undo him
Temaer
work
|emotions
|society
|core_vocabulary
Eksempler
- In the end, his own arrogance undid him.
- The scandal could undo the president only months before the election.
- Years of careful diplomacy were almost undone by one careless remark.
- Her addiction threatened to undo all the progress she had made.
- Their lack of preparation may yet undo the whole project.
Eksempler for deg som lærer
- His bad choices finally undid him.
- The mistake may undo the team's success.
- Her fear of change could undo her career.
- One big error can undo a small company.
- The crisis nearly undid the new government.
Grammatikk
Oppslagsform
undo
IPA
GB/ʌndˈu/
US/ʌndˈu/
Stavelser og trykk
undo (1 stavelse)
Bøyingsformer
Verb
- Base: undo
- 3rd Person Singular: undoes
- Present Participle: undoing
- Past: undid
- Past Participle: undone
Ordfamilie
Viktige punkter
- Irregular past: undid Verb
- Irregular past participle: undone Verb
Uttrykk
be undone by [something]
1/bˈi ʌndˈʌn bˈaɪ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
be ruined or defeated by something
To fail or be ruined because of a particular thing, such as a weakness, mistake, or problem.
Eksempler
- In the end, the company was undone by poor management.
- He was undone by his own pride and refusal to listen.
cannot be undone
1/kænˈɑt bˈi ʌndˈʌn/
fixed phrase
impossible to reverse or cancel
Used to say that something has happened and it is not possible to change it back or remove its effect.
Eksempler
- Be careful: once you delete these files, the action cannot be undone.
- Some choices in life cannot be undone.
come undone
1/kˈʌm ʌndˈʌn/
phrasal verb
become loose or emotionally fall apart
1) To open by itself when it was fastened (like a button or knot). 2) To become very upset or unable to stay calm and in control.
Eksempler
- My shoelaces keep coming undone while I run.
- Her hair came undone and fell over her shoulders.
- After the divorce, he completely came undone and stopped going to work.
leave [something] undone
1/lˈiv sˈʌmθɪŋ ʌndˈʌn/
fixed phrase
not do something that needs doing
To not finish a task, duty, or job that you are expected to do.
Eksempler
- I hate leaving work undone at the end of the day.
- Many repairs were left undone because of the budget cuts.
undo the damage
1/ʌndˈu ðə dˈæmɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
try to remove earlier harm
To make the bad results of something less serious, or to try to make things as good as they were before the harm happened.
Eksempler
- Planting more trees may help undo the damage caused by the fire.
- No amount of money can undo the damage done to their relationship.
undo the past
1/ʌndˈu ðə pˈæst/
fixed phrase
change what has already happened
To make past events different or as if they did not happen, usually said to show that this is impossible.
Eksempler
- He knows he cannot undo the past, but he wants to make up for his mistakes.
- You can't undo the past, but you can choose what to do next.