doctored

IPA/dˈɒktəd/
KK[dˈɑktɚd]IPA/dˈɑːktərd/

doctored — verb

1. to deliberately change information, numbers, documents, or images so that they a

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to deliberately change information, numbers, documents, or images so that they are not true, usually to gain an advantage or avoid getting caught

Example

Prosecutors say the accountant doctored the company records to hide the missing money.

passive avoided; active verb with human subject

Thao noticed the photo had been doctored when she saw the shadows did not match.

passive: be doctored (photo/image)

Common collocations
  • doctor + records
  • doctor + a photo
  • doctor + results
  • doctor + a document
  • be doctored to + verb
Synonyms
  • falsify

    more formal; used for official documents or records

  • tamper with

    slightly more informal; can also mean meddling without necessarily lying

  • forge

    specifically means creating a fake copy of something, not just altering the original

Antonyms
  • authenticate

    to prove something is genuine

  • verify

    to check and confirm that something is true or correct

Grammar Patterns

be doctored + noun phrase

doctor + noun phrase

Usage Note

Commonly used in news reports about fraud, scandals, or legal cases. Passive voice is frequent when the agent is unknown or unimportant.

Common Mistakes

The accountant corrected the records to hide the money.
The accountant doctored the records to hide the money.
'corrected' means fixed errors; 'doctored' means changed them dishonestly.
She faked the document for fun.
She doctored the document to mislead the committee.
'doctor' implies a deliberate dishonest purpose, not casual play.

2. to secretly add something dangerous, such as poison or a drug, to what someone i

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to secretly add something dangerous, such as poison or a drug, to what someone is about to eat or drink without their knowledge

Example

The police found that someone had doctored the wine bottle with a clear, odourless poison.

pattern: doctor + container + with + poison

Kofi rushed his neighbour to hospital after realising her tea had been doctored.

passive: tea/drink + had been doctored

Common collocations
  • doctor + a drink
  • doctor + food
  • doctor + with poison
  • had been doctored
Synonyms
  • poison

    more direct and common; does not imply secrecy the way 'doctor' does

  • lace

    can mean adding a small amount of something (not necessarily poison); often 'lace with'

  • spike

    informal; often used for adding alcohol or drugs to a drink

Grammar Patterns

doctor + food/drink + with + substance

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (ALTER TO DECEIVE): this sense always involves a physical substance added to something consumable. The deception is about the substance, not about information.

3. to perform surgery on a domestic animal to remove its reproductive organs so it

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to perform surgery on a domestic animal to remove its reproductive organs so it cannot have babies

Example

The vet suggested getting the stray cats doctored to reduce the local kitten population.

pattern: get + animal(s) + doctored

Amara had her sheepdog doctored last spring, and he has calmed down since then.

pattern: have + animal + doctored

Common collocations
  • get + animal + doctored
  • have + pet + doctored
  • doctored + cat/dog/rabbit
Synonyms
  • neuter

    most common term; applies to both male and female animals

  • spay

    specifically for female animals

  • castrate

    specifically for male animals; more clinical

  • fix

    informal American English; covers both sexes

Grammar Patterns

get + animal + doctored

have + animal + doctored

Usage Note

More common in British and Australian English for this sense than American English, where 'neuter' or 'fix' is preferred. Usually applied to pets and farm animals, not wild animals.

Common Mistakes

The vet doctored my dog for a broken leg.
The vet treated my dog for a broken leg.
'doctor' in the surgery sense refers only to sterilisation, not general medical care.
We had our cat fixed last month.
We had our cat doctored last month.
Both are correct in different dialects; 'fix' is American, 'doctor' is British/Australian.

4. to give basic medical care to someone who is hurt or ill, often outside a hospit

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to give basic medical care to someone who is hurt or ill, often outside a hospital setting and usually without formal training

Example

Oliver's grandmother doctored his scraped knee with a bandage and a gentle hug.

informal register; family care context

The old fisherman doctored his crew's cuts and burns with herbs from his cabin.

Common collocations
  • doctor + a wound
  • doctor + a cut/scrape
  • doctor + someone's injuries
Synonyms
  • treat

    the standard modern term; can be professional or informal

  • patch up

    informal; suggests quick or temporary care

  • nurse

    implies ongoing care over a longer period

Grammar Patterns

doctor + someone

Usage Note

This sense is considered old-fashioned or informal in modern English. It describes non-professional care, unlike sense 5 (REPAIR/RESTORE) which applies to objects, not people.

Common Mistakes

The surgeon doctored the patient.
The surgeon operated on the patient.
For professional medical treatment, use 'treat' or 'operate'; 'doctor' in this sense sounds old-fashioned.

5. to fix something broken or damaged in a quick or improvised way, often so it wor

5.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to fix something broken or damaged in a quick or improvised way, often so it works just well enough for immediate use

Example

Oliver doctored the old radio with sticky tape and a paperclip, and it played again.

improvised repair with available materials

The mechanic doctored the leaking pipe by wrapping it tightly with rubber and wire.

Common collocations
  • doctor + a machine
  • doctor + a pipe
  • doctor + something + back together
Synonyms
  • fix

    the general, neutral term; does not imply improvisation

  • patch up

    also suggests a temporary or hasty repair

  • jury-rig

    implies a creative, improvised solution with whatever materials are available

Antonyms
  • break

    to cause damage

  • ruin

    to damage beyond repair

Grammar Patterns

doctor + object + back into shape/working order

Usage Note

The repair is typically temporary or improvised — a permanent fix by a professional would use 'repair' or 'restore' instead. Distinguish from sense 4 (TREAT MEDICALLY): this applies to objects, not people or animals.

doctored — noun

Word family

  • doctor
    nounA1
  • doctor
    verbB2
  • doctoring
    nounC1
  • doctoral
    adjectiveB2
  • doctorate
    nounB1
  • doctors
    nounA1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Doctor', 'falsify', 'tamper with', and 'forge' all involve changing something to make it untrue, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Doctor' is mid-register and can apply to documents, photos, statistics, or even food — it implies a sneaky, often improvised alteration. 'Falsify' is more formal and typically used for official records (e.g., 'falsify a signature' or 'falsify test results'). 'Tamper with' suggests interference that may or may not involve lying — you can tamper with a lock without falsifying anything. 'Forge' is narrower: it means creating a convincing fake copy of something (a signature, a banknote, a painting), not merely altering the original. For example: 'The accountant doctored the quarterly figures before the audit' (altered existing records) versus 'The art dealer forged a Picasso and sold it as genuine' (created a fake from scratch).

falsifytamper withforgedoctor

Common collocations

Nouns

  • records
  • documents
  • photos
  • food
  • drink
  • reports
  • data
  • results

Adverbs

  • deliberately
  • secretly
  • carefully

Phrases

  • to be doctored
  • get something doctored

Prepositions

  • with
  • to

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The English word 'doctor' comes from Latin 'doctor', meaning 'teacher', from 'docere' (to teach). It was first used in English in the 1300s for a learned person or teacher. The medical meaning appeared around the 1500s. The verb sense 'to alter deceptively' came later, in the 1800s, probably from the idea of a doctor 'fixing' or 'prescribing for' something — the same verb that gave us 'to doctor a drink' (add medicine or poison) gradually shifted toward dishonest tampering. The 'repair' sense may come from the idea of a doctor 'mending' a patient, transferred to objects.