do the dishes

verb

To wash up dirty crockery (plates and dishes) and cutlery (knives, forks, and spoons).

“I make my children do the dishes if they are impolite during dinner.”

Similar
do the washing-upwash up
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Meanings

verbdo the dishes (third-person singular simple present does the dishes, present participle doing the dishes, simple past did the dishes, past participle done the dishes)

present singular third person does the dishes · participle present doing the dishes · past did the dishes · participle past done the dishes

  1. intransitiveTo wash up dirty crockery (plates and dishes) and cutlery (knives, forks, and spoons).

    I make my children do the dishes if they are impolite during dinner.

    Synonyms: do the washing-up

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo wash up dirty crockery (plates and dishes) and cutlery (knives, forks, and spoons).

Similar
do the washing-up

More synonyms by meaning

verbwash dishes

Similar
wash up
Broader
cleanmake clean
Also see
do the washing-upwash up

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Arabic غَسَلَ الصُّحُون, غَسَلَ الْأَطْبَاق
  • غَسَلَ الصُّحُون (ḡasala ṣ-ṣuḥūn)to wash up dishes
  • غَسَلَ الْأَطْبَاق (ḡasala l-ʔaṭbāq)to wash up dishes
Bulgarian ми́я чини́и
  • ми́я чини́и (míja činíi)to wash up dishes
Catalan escurar, rentar els plats
  • escurarto wash up dishes
  • rentar els platsto wash up dishes
Chinese Mandarin 洗碗, 洗餐具
  • 洗碗 (xǐwǎn)to wash up dishes
  • 洗餐具 (xǐ cānjù)to wash up dishes
Czech mýt nádobí
  • mýt nádobíto wash up dishes
Danish vaske op
  • vaske opto wash up dishes
Dutch de afwas doen, afwassen
  • de afwas doento wash up dishes
  • afwassento wash up dishes
Finnish tiskata, pestä astiat
  • tiskatato wash up dishes
  • pestä astiatto wash up dishes
French faire la vaisselle, faire la plonge
  • faire la vaisselleto wash up dishes
  • faire la plongeto wash up dishes
German abwaschen, spülen
  • abwaschento wash up dishes
  • spülento wash up dishes
Hungarian mosogat, elmosogat
  • mosogatto wash up dishes
  • elmosogatto wash up dishes
Icelandic vaska upp
  • vaska uppto wash up dishes
Irish nigh na soithí
  • nigh na soithíto wash up dishes
Italian lavare i piatti, fare i piatti
  • lavare i piattito wash up dishes
  • fare i piattito wash up dishes
Japanese 皿を洗う, 食器類を洗う
  • 皿を洗う (sara o arau)to wash up dishes
  • 食器類を洗う (shokkirui o arau)to wash up dishes
  • 皿洗いをする (saraarai o suru)to wash up dishes
Korean 설거지하다
  • 설거지하다 (seolgeojihada)to wash up dishes
Norwegian Bokmål vaske opp
  • vaske oppto wash up dishes
Polish zmywać, pozmywać
  • zmywaćto wash up dishes
  • pozmywaćto wash up dishes
Portuguese lavar a louça
  • lavar a louçato wash up dishes
Russian мыть посу́ду, помы́ть посу́ду
  • мыть посу́ду (mytʹ posúdu)to wash up dishes
  • помы́ть посу́ду (pomýtʹ posúdu)to wash up dishes
Spanish fregar, lavar los platos
  • fregarto wash up dishes
  • lavar los platosto wash up dishes
  • lavar la lozato wash up dishes
Swedish diska
  • diskato wash up dishes
Tagalog hugasan ang mga pinggan
  • hugasan ang mga pingganto wash up dishes
Thai ล้างจาน
  • ล้างจานto wash up dishes
Turkish bulaşıkları yıkamak
  • bulaşıkları yıkamakto wash up dishes
Welsh gwneud y llestri
  • gwneud y llestrito wash up dishes
Cite this entry
APA

do the dishes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/do%20the%20dishes

MLA

“do the dishes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/do%20the%20dishes. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “do the dishes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/do%20the%20dishes.

Source: do the dishes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.