Have you offered to bring meals to an elderly neighbor recovering from an? People may tell say you did a “good deed.”
This post delves into the meaning of this phrase. We’ll also explore its origin and usage.
Meaning
Any act someone performs out of the kindness of their heart, without expecting anything in return, can be called a “good deed.” Many good deeds are a form of charity (helping the less fortunate), but this is not always the case.
The phrase “good deed” also has a legal meaning. “Deed” refers to a legal document by which property ownership is transferred in that case. A “good deed” is one attached to a title in good standing.
Example Usage
Would you like to add the phrase “good deeds” to your everyday vocabulary? These example sentences illustrate its meaning and show you acceptable contexts for the phrase:
- “I’m doing this good deeds challenge, where you try to do a good deed every day for a year. It can be big or small. So far, I have offered to cat-sit for a friend, helped an old lady carry groceries, and donated to a charity.”
- “Performing good deeds is a vital part of all major religions and is seen as the path to a moral life.”
- “I had the weirdest encounter with a stranger today. I guess he thought he was doing me a favor or even performing a good deed when he insisted on changing my flat tire. Maybe he thinks he’s God’s gift to women. I told him to take a hike. I can change my own tires!”
Origin
“Good” meant “valuable” or “fine” in old English. The word took on the meaning “kind,” “benevolent,” or “pious” in the 13th century.
“Deed” also dates back to Old English, and it means “an action” or “an event.”
The phrases “good deeds” and “good works” have meant “acts of piety” for around 700 years now. Being pious means being religiously devout, and pious people are typically committed to high moral standards.
All major religions call on believers to help those less fortunate and to engage in acts of charity. This is likely how “good deeds” came to refer to selfless acts someone performs out of kindness, without expecting anything in return.
The phrase slowly lost its religious connotations over time. “Good deeds” has meant “any selfless act done to serve others” since the early 20th century.
In modern English, “doing something nice or helpful for others” is synonymous with the phrase “good deed.”
Phrases Similar to Good Deeds
Would you like to avoid the phrase “good deeds” for whatever reason? Instead, you can say:
- [An act of] charity — the act of providing people in need with money or goods.
- An act of kindness.
- An act of service.
- Philanthropy — monetarily contributing to good causes.
- Altruism — a philosophy of being selflessly helpful.
The idiom “no good deed goes unpunished” is another closely-related phrase. This saying warns that people may become greedy and ask for more if you offer them charity or that recipients of good deeds may be ungrateful or angry.
Phrases Opposite to Good Deeds
People who don’t engage in good deeds and have no desire to help others may be said to be:
- Selfish.
- Greedy.
- Cruel.
- Evil.
What Is the Correct Saying?
The correct phrase is “good deeds.” Good deeds are acts someone performs selflessly to help others, without expecting anything in return.
Ways People May Say Good Deeds Incorrectly
Good deeds refer to acts of service in which the person goes above and beyond. It would be incorrect to say that someone performed a good deed if they were merely doing their job.
Avoid misspelling “deed” as “dead” as well.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Good Deeds
You can use the phrase “good deeds” to describe any selfless act of service. For example, do you have a friend who always helps people out? You can say she frequently does “good deeds.”