do-gooder

noun

do-good·​er ˈdü-ˌgu̇-dər How to pronounce do-gooder (audio)
: an earnest often naive humanitarian or reformer
do-gooding noun or adjective

Examples of do-gooder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Helen’s husband, Wallace (Andrew Buchan), is a defense secretary and member of the conservative party, who toes a fine line between complicit villain and naive do-gooder, without ever risking anything more personal than his reputation. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2024 The hope was that, like Venom, this charismatic killer could anchor a franchise before potentially mixing it up with Holland’s friendly neighborhood do-gooder, or Tom Hardy’s schizophrenic symbiote, or maybe even the big leaguers in that lucrative cinematic universe a few shops over. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2024 Ban is a rarity, a pragmatic do-gooder with a sublime aesthetic touch, whose few duds are mostly homes for the rich. Curbed Editors, Curbed, 29 Nov. 2024 Dawn, after killing her boyfriend, seeks comfort in a do-gooder gynecologist (also played by Karl) who reveals himself to be a predator. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for do-gooder 

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of do-gooder was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near do-gooder

Cite this Entry

“Do-gooder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/do-gooder. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on do-gooder

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!