noun
adjective
definition
(attributive) doing nothing, not taking any action.
Examples of do-nothing in a Sentence
I'll do nothing of the kind!
He might go running over there or he might do nothing.
But in Goshen the Boers would let him do nothing.
Yielding to the inevitable, but not forgetting to announce a brilliant victory in a bulletin, he sent his troops into winter quarters along the Passarge and down the Baltic, enjoining on his corps commanders most strictly to do nothing to disturb their adversary.
In August 1791, Fersen was sent to Vienna to induce the emperor Leopold to accede to a new coalition against revolutionary France, but he soon came to the conclusion that the Austrian court meant to do nothing at all.
Trench could do nothing to prevent the disestablishment of the Irish Church, though he resisted with dignity.
On his return home, he was appointed commander-in-chief on the Norwegian frontier, but could do nothing owing to the ordres, contre-ordres et desordres of his lunatic master.
Neiitrals have a right to carry on their ordinary business unmolested in so far as they do nothing to assist either belligerent.
The truth of Paracelsus's doctrines was apparently confirmed by his success in curing or mitigating diseases for which the regular physicians could do nothing.
It does not appear that there was much suspicion of the garbling which had been practised - garbling not unusual at the time, and excused in this case by the fact of a lull in the troubles of Port Royal and a great desire on the part of its friends to do nothing to disturb that lull.
Moreover, he intended to undertake the subjugation of northern Italy, a task which had baffled his imperial grandfather, and in order to realize this scheme it was of the highest importance that he should do nothing to offend the pope.
Bismarck therefore, who took this rebuff much to heart, said he would have nothing more to do with the matter, and warned those interested in colonies that they must depend on self-help; he could do nothing for them.
Under the guidance of Pericles Athens replied that she would do nothing on compulsion, but was prepared to submit difficulties to amicable arbitration on the basis of mutual concessions.
The policy of the government is to maintain the small proprietors, and to do nothing tending to oust the native in favor of European landowners.
For it is not supported by temporal agencies like the spiritual authority of the Christian priesthood in the middle ages, but is a pure power of knowledge over the ignorant masses, who do nothing without consulting their spiritual advisers.
It was followed in 1850 by the Latterday Pamphlets, containing "sulphurous" denunciations of the do-nothing principle.
A sedulous courtier, he was rewarded with the confidence of Augustus, who ordered the procurators of Syria to do nothing without taking his advice.
Sa`id could do nothing against them.
Paulinus rushed back without waiting for his troops, but he could do nothing alone.
While he lay in prison he could do nothing in the way of his old trade for the support of his family.
As the Spaniards would not recognize the right of other races to make settlements, or even to trade in the West Indies, the governments of France, England and Holland would do nothing to control their subjects who invaded the islands.
They provided that he was to do nothing without the consent of a permanent council of fifteen barons and bishops, and that all his finances were to be controlled by another committee of twenty-four persons.
The cabinet decided to do nothing that could wear the appearance of interference in the internal affairs of France; but Lord Palmerston, in conversation with the French minister in London, took upon himself to approve the bold and decisive step taken by the president.
Passed by the Commons, it was thrown out towards the end of the session by the Lords; and the government acquiescedperhaps could do nothing but acquiescein this decision.
The choice of St George's made by this commission was adopted at Galatz in December 1858, and six of the seven representatives voted for its canalization; but owing to various political and financial considerations, it was ultimately decided to do nothing more in the meantime than render permanent and effective the provisional works already in progress at the Sulina mouth.
For to do either is forbidden by experience; and yet to do nothing is forbidden by logic. We are thus driven to the assumption that the conception is contradictory because incomplete; but how are we to supplement it?
Had the British government listened to the representations then made to them, that, having conquered Egypt, it was imperative at once to suppress the revolt in the Sudan, the rebellion could have been crushed, but unfortunately Great Britain would do nothing herself, while the steps she allowed Egypt to take ended in the disaster to Hicks Pasha's expedition.
He was indefatigable, in war as in peace, in parading and inspecting; the weary and starving soldiers were forced to turn out amid the marshes of the Dobrudscha as spick and span as on the parade grounds of St Petersburg; but he could do nothing to set order in the confusion of the commissariat, which caused the troops to die like flies of dysentery and scurvy; or to remedy the scandals of the hospitals, which inflicted on the wounded unspeakable sufferings.
I can't just sit here and do nothing while she's suffering.
Martha was ready to rescue the girl herself but we simply agreed to do nothing to hasten the child's return.
The Black God will have to bring Bianca back; I can do nothing to undo what Darian did to them.
Her feet literally inches from the floor, she could do nothing but endure his onslaught.
It'd do nothing to an Other but aggravate him.
The innocuous challenge by Moses saw a penalty awarded which Andy Stephens could do nothing about.
Or you may prefer to do nothing but lean back admire the fabulous ornate ceiling!
If we do nothing they do not stay the same, they run down, get flabby, they get worse.
Just do nothing at all and let the germans proceed.
If you do nothing you may become exposed to a large IHT liability.
Most guys do nothing midweek to grow in faith.
The vast majority of commercial Neds are paid, and some do nothing but NED work.
They went from believing that Britain could do anything to an almost neurotic belief that Britain could do nothing.
Or, of course, you could do nothing.
If you are looking for joint venture partners online, 97% of people will do nothing to help you.
The thing is, even if you do nothing proactive to change your career profile, the world is changing around you.
He was at last offered his discharge on giving a bond of £1000 to do nothing to the prejudice of the commonwealth.
On the 26th Nelson changed his attitude and authorized Sir William Hamilton, the British minister, to inform the cardinal that he (Nelson) would do nothing to break the armistice; while Captains Bell and Troubridge wrote that they had Nelson's authority to state that the latter would not oppose the embarcation of the Republicans.
They could do nothing but give up all their goods and money.
The poor man could do nothing but dress himself and go sorrowing on his way.
Some chunks of your DNA do nothing useful (that we know of yet), but other chunks we call genes.
They aren't responsible for the oil being in Alaska and do nothing to extract the oil from the earth.