Standard Lemma guide

DIY

adj · noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌdi.aɪˈwaɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪ

1

adj

Meaning 1

Do-it-yourself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Do you know where I could find a DIY pipe repair kit?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Initialism of do it yourself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To perform oneself a task usually relegated to an expert.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 2007 [publication date], Maggie Bullock, "Home Improvement", Elle, January 2008 ed., page 108, Huber was a physicist. Even top Estée Lauder chemists who took over for Huber in 1995 found that... any attempt to cheat on his original formula produced disappointing results, which demands the question: If they couldn't DIY, can you?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Initialism of do it yourself.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: gør-det-selv — of or pertaining to do it yourself
  • Dutch: doe-het-zelf — of or pertaining to do it yourself
  • Estonian: tee-ise — of or pertaining to do it yourself
  • Finnish: tee-se-itse — of or pertaining to do it yourself
  • Hungarian: barkács- — of or pertaining to do it yourself
  • Italian: fai da te — of or pertaining to do it yourself
  • Russian: своими руками (svoimi rukami) — of or pertaining to do it yourself
  • Spanish: bricolado — of or pertaining to do it yourself
  • Spanish: hecho sí mismo — of or pertaining to do it yourself
  • Swedish: gör-det-själv- — of or pertaining to do it yourself
  • Chinese Mandarin: DIY — do it yourself
  • Finnish: TSI — do it yourself
  • French: DIY — do it yourself
  • German: DIY — do it yourself
  • Italian: DIY — do it yourself
  • Xibe: ᡩᡞ ᠠᡞ ᠸᠠᡞ (di ai wai) — do it yourself
  • Esperanto: memfari — Translations
  • Esperanto: fari ĝin mem — Translations
  • Finnish: tehdä itse (jotain) — Translations
  • French: bricoler — Translations
  • German: selber machen — Translations
  • German: selbst machen — Translations
  • Hungarian: barkácsol — Translations
  • Hungarian: fúr-farag — Translations
  • Polish: majsterkować — Translations
  • Polish: pomajsterkować — Translations
  • Russian: смастери́ть (smasterítʹ) — Translations
  • Spanish: hacerlo sí mismo — Translations
  • Spanish: bricolar — Translations