Dictionary

what's done is done en · X

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From a line of dialogue spoken by the character Lady Macbeth in Act III Scene II of Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

Meanings

1. Events that have already taken place cannot be changed and actions that have already been committed cannot be undone, so it is best not to dwell on them.
   • As I mentioned in a round-table conversation with my colleagues on Saturday, I’m worried that all too many people will say: Well, in a perfect world Trump should have gone to Congress, but what’s done is done. That is exactly the wrong way to approach this war. 2026 March 1, David French, “War and Peace Cannot Be Left to One Man — Especially Not This Man”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 01 Mar 2026:

Forms

Relateds

yesterday is gone · there's no point crying over spilt milk · you can't go home again · genie is out of the bottle · the die is cast · that ship has sailed · here we are

Translations (33)

gd tha na tha air a dhèanamh air a dhèanamh (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · ceb dili na mabalik ang baha paingon sa bukid (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · es ajo y agua (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · es lo hecho, hecho está (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · ga déantar an méid atá déanta (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · nl gedane zaken nemen geen keer (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · ko 한번 엎지른 물은 다시 주워 담지 못한다 (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · mi e hoki oti te hūare ki te waha (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · fr le mal est fait (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · ru что сде́лано, то сде́лано (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · fa کاری است که شده (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · ar مَا فَاتَ قَدْ مَاتْ (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · cmn 木已成舟 (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · hi जो होगया सों होगया (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · ro ce-a fost, a fost (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · az olan olub, torba dolub (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · az olan olub (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · nb gjort er gjort (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · ar مَا حَدَثَ قَد حَدَثَ (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · pl co było, to było (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · cy mae'r hyn sy'n cael ei wneud yn cael ei wneud (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · ja 覆水盆に返らず (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · tl nasa huli ang pagsisisi (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · pt o que está feito está feito (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · tr olan oldu (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · hu ez a hajó már elment (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · sq çu bë u bë (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · pl co się stało, to się nie odstanie (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · fr ce qui est fait est fait (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · cmn 覆水難收 /覆水难收 (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · fi tehty mikä tehty (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · sv gjort och klar (events that have already taken place cannot be changed) · de was passiert ist, ist passiert (events that have already taken place cannot be changed)