work
noun
work
1 American
[wurk]
/ wɜrk /
noun
-
works
plural
-
exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil.
-
productive or operative activity.
- Synonyms:
- business, occupation, industry
-
employment, as in some form of industry, especially as a means of earning one's livelihood.
to look for work.
- Synonyms:
- profession, vocation, calling, trade, job
-
one's place of employment.
Don't phone him at work.
-
something on which exertion or labor is expended; a task or undertaking.
The students finished their work in class.
- Synonyms:
- responsibility, job, assignment, enterprise
-
materials, things, etc., on which one is working or is to work.
-
the result of exertion, labor, or activity; a deed or performance.
- Synonyms:
- feat, achievement, product
-
a product of exertion, labor, or activity.
musical works.
-
Often works. an engineering structure, as a building or bridge.
-
a building, wall, trench, or the like, constructed or made as a means of fortification.
-
works,
-
(used with a singular or plural verb) a place or establishment for manufacturing (often used in combination).
ironworks.
-
the working parts of a machine.
the works of a watch.
-
Theology. righteous deeds.
-
-
Physics. force times the distance through which it acts; specifically, the transference of energy equal to the product of the component of a force that acts in the direction of the motion of the point of application of the force and the distance through which the point of application moves.
-
Informal. the works,
-
everything; all related items or matters.
a hamburger with the works.
-
harsh or cruel treatment.
to give someone the works.
-
adjective
-
of, for, or concerning work.
work clothes.
verb (used without object)
-
works,
present (3rd person singular)
-
worked,
past participle, past
-
wrought,
past participle, past (Archaic)
-
working
present participle
-
to do work; labor.
-
to be employed, especially as a means of earning one's livelihood.
He hasn't worked for six weeks.
-
to be in operation, as a machine.
The water should not be disconnected while the pump is working.
-
to act or operate effectively.
We all agree that this plan works.
-
to attain a specified condition, as by repeated movement.
The nails worked loose.
-
to have an effect or influence, as on a person or on the mind or feelings of a person.
-
to move in agitation, as the features under strong emotion.
-
to make way with effort or under stress.
The ship works to windward.
-
Nautical. to give slightly at the joints, as a vessel under strain at sea.
-
Machinery. to move improperly, as from defective fitting of parts or from wear.
-
to undergo treatment by labor in a given way.
This dough works slowly.
-
to ferment, as a liquid.
verb (used with object)
-
works,
present (3rd person singular)
-
worked,
past participle, past
-
wrought,
past participle, past (Archaic)
-
working
present participle
-
to use or manage (an apparatus, contrivance, etc.).
It is easy to work the camera in this mobile device.
She can work many power tools.
- Synonyms:
- handle, manipulate, operate
-
to bring about (any result) by or as by work or effort.
to work a change.
- Synonyms:
- achieve, produce, effect, accomplish
-
to manipulate or treat by labor.
to work butter.
-
to put into effective operation.
-
to operate (a mine, farm, etc.) for productive purposes.
to work a coal mine.
-
to carry on operations in (a district or region).
-
to make, fashion, or execute by work.
-
to achieve or win by work or effort.
to work one's passage.
-
to keep (a person, a horse, etc.) at work.
She works her employees hard.
-
to cause a strong emotion in.
to work a crowd into a frenzy.
-
to influence or persuade, especially insidiously.
to work other people to one's will.
-
Informal. to exploit (someone or something) to one's advantage.
See if you can work your uncle for a new car. He worked his charm in landing a new job.
-
to make or decorate by needlework or embroidery.
She worked a needlepoint cushion.
-
to cause fermentation in.
verb phrase
-
work on / upon to exercise influence on; persuade; affect.
I'll work on her, and maybe she'll change her mind.
-
work up
-
to move or stir the feelings; excite.
-
to prepare; elaborate.
Work up some plans.
-
to increase in efficiency or skill.
He worked up his typing speed to 70 words a minute.
-
-
work up to rise to a higher position; advance.
He worked up to the presidency.
-
work out
-
to bring about by work, effort, or action.
-
to solve, as a problem.
-
to arrive at by or as by calculation.
-
to pay (a debt) by working instead of paying money.
-
to exhaust, as a mine.
-
to issue in a result.
-
to evolve; elaborate.
-
to amount to (a total or specified figure); add up (to).
The total works out to 176.
-
to prove effective or successful.
Their marriage just didn't work out.
-
to practice, exercise, or train, especially in order to become proficient in an athletic sport.
The boxers are working out at the gym tonight.
-
-
work over
-
to study or examine thoroughly.
For my term paper I worked over 30 volumes of Roman history.
-
Informal. to beat unsparingly, especially in order to obtain something or out of revenge.
They threatened to work him over until he talked.
-
-
work in / into
-
to bring or put in; add, merge, or blend.
The tailor worked in the patch skillfully. Work the cream into the hands until it is completely absorbed.
-
to arrange a time or employment for.
The dentist was very busy, but said she would be able to work me in late in the afternoon. They worked him into the new operation.
-
-
work off
-
to lose or dispose of, as by exercise or labor.
We decided to work off the effects of a heavy supper by walking for an hour.
-
to pay or fulfill by working.
He worked off his debt by doing odd jobs.
-
-
work through to deal with successfully; come to terms with.
to work through one's feelings of guilt.
idioms
-
shoot the works, to spend all one's resources.
Let's shoot the works and order the crêpes suzette.
-
out of work, unemployed; jobless.
Many people in the area were out of work.
-
make short work of, to finish or dispose of quickly.
We made short work of the chocolate layer cake.
-
at work,
-
working, as at one's job.
He's at work on a new novel.
-
in action or operation.
to see the machines at work.
-
-
work it,
-
to arrange something.
I'll try to work it so that we can all travel together.
-
to show off one’s body or clothing to best effect, often through movement or posing.
The models were working it on the runway.
Work it on the dance floor, baby!
-
-
gum up the works, to spoil something, as through blundering or stupidity.
The surprise party was all arranged, but her little brother gummed up the works and told her.
-
in the works, in preparation or being planned.
A musical version of the book is in the works.
Work
2
American
[wurk]
/ wɜrk /
noun
work
British
/ wɜːk /
noun
-
physical or mental effort directed towards doing or making something
-
paid employment at a job or a trade, occupation, or profession
-
a duty, task, or undertaking
-
something done, made, etc, as a result of effort or exertion
a work of art
-
materials or tasks on which to expend effort or exertion
-
another word for workmanship
-
the place, office, etc, where a person is employed
-
any piece of material that is undergoing a manufacturing operation or process; workpiece
-
-
decoration or ornamentation, esp of a specified kind
-
( in combination )
wirework
woolwork
-
-
an engineering structure such as a bridge, building, etc
-
Abbreviation: W. w. physics the transfer of energy expressed as the product of a force and the distance through which its point of application moves in the direction of the force
-
a structure, wall, etc, built or used as part of a fortification system
-
-
at one's job or place of employment
-
in action; operating
-
-
informal to handle or dispose of very quickly
-
(modifier) of, relating to, or used for work
work clothes
a work permit
verb
-
(intr) to exert effort in order to do, make, or perform something
-
(intr) to be employed
-
(tr) to carry on operations, activity, etc, in (a place or area)
that salesman works the southern region
-
(tr) to cause to labour or toil
he works his men hard
-
to operate or cause to operate, esp properly or effectively
to work a lathe
that clock doesn't work
-
(tr) to till or cultivate (land)
-
to handle or manipulate or be handled or manipulated
to work dough
-
to shape, form, or process or be shaped, formed, or processed
to work copper
-
to reach or cause to reach a specific condition, esp gradually
the rope worked loose
-
(tr) to solve (a mathematical problem)
-
(intr) to move in agitation
his face worked with anger
-
to provoke or arouse
to work someone into a frenzy
-
(tr) to effect or accomplish
to work one's revenge
-
to make (one's way) with effort
he worked his way through the crowd
-
(tr) to make or decorate by hand in embroidery, tapestry, etc
she was working a sampler
-
(intr) (of a mechanism) to move in a loose or otherwise imperfect fashion
-
(intr) (of liquids) to ferment, as in brewing
-
informal (tr) to manipulate or exploit to one's own advantage
-
slang (tr) to cheat or swindle
work
Scientific
/ wûrk /
-
The transfer of energy from one object to another, especially in order to make the second object move in a certain direction. Work is equal to the amount of force multiplied by the distance over which it is applied. If a force of 10 newtons, for example, is applied over a distance of 3 meters, the work is equal to 30 newtons per meter, or 30 joules. The unit for measuring work is the same as that for energy in any system of units, since work is simply a transfer of energy.
work
Cultural
work
More Idioms
Usage
What are other ways to say work? The noun work refers to the exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something. When should you use work instead of drudgery, labor, or toil? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
worksimple
-
workssimple
-
have workedperfect
-
have wroughtperfect
-
has workedperfect
-
has wroughtperfect
-
am workingprogressive
-
are workingprogressive
-
is workingprogressive
-
have been workingperfect progressive
-
has been workingperfect progressive
Past
-
workedsimple
-
wroughtsimple
-
had workedperfect
-
had wroughtperfect
-
was workingprogressive
-
were workingprogressive
-
had been workingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of work
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English worke, Old English worc, replacing Middle English werk(e), Old English weorc, cognate with Old Frisian, Old Saxon werk, Old High German werah, werc ( German Werk ), Old Norse verk, Greek érgon; (verb) Middle English worken, derivative of the noun, replacing Middle English wyrchen, Old English wyrcean; cognate with German wirken, Old Norse verkja, Gothic waurkjan
Explanation
The word work has many shades of meaning, but most involve putting in an effort of some sort. You're not going to become an Olympic ice skater overnight. You'll need to do a serious amount of work to get there. When you say you have to go to work, work is a noun meaning your workplace. The actual tasks you perform at your workplace — what you get paid for — are also called work. Your work might consist of answering the phone or baking bread or doing the accounting. Work can also be a verb describing doing some kind of activity, often one associated with your job. It's a bummer to work on Saturday when you already worked all week.
Vocabulary lists containing work
Word Generation Science - Energy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Force and Motion (Mechanics) - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Force and Motion (Mechanics) - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Nail technician Erin, who missed two years of work during her cancer treatment, also has to take on the significant costs involved.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
In addition to her onscreen work, she did voice acting for animated films like “A Bug’s Life” and “Dinosaur,” as well as the video game franchises “Kingdom Hearts” and “Until Dawn.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Following his Olympic feat in Beijing, Phelps received offers for book and movie deals, bobblehead dolls, statues, tuxedos and free dental work, among other things, as WSJ reported at the time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The risk is it invites people to keep contacting you as if you were still at work.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Oh no, did you go back to putting ketchup on your eggs again? I work so hard to refine your palate!”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Appeared in the August 18, 2026, print edition as 'Border Patrol Pauses Work In a Texas National Park'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Work has also been making you stay later, ever since the company started doing layoffs, which also makes it harder for you to get your daily 10,000 steps in.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Social Work Scotland, the profession's leadership body, is broadly supportive of the government's proposals, if extra resources are put in place.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Work on the project began last year with the sudden demolition of the White House's entire historic East Wing.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Because only the hand understood that it was a larger design that had moved the universe to the point at which six days of creation had evolved into a Master Work.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
Phelps, now 41, volunteers as an assistant coach and works at his eponymous foundation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
That is a key tenet of how the stock market works.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
"It wasn't so easy to paint back then, but now everything is very different," says Cristian Juarez, a 29-year-old who works with a prosthesis after losing his right leg in an accident 11 years ago.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
He works relentlessly in the weight room gaining strength.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
“I’ll tell you if it all works out,” she replies, jogging up the stairs.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Chapman, who has not worked at Millsike, said he believed the prison was "pushed forward for opening far too early by the government".
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Our unions have actually worked with her at all three levels of government. Her reputation, her professional resume from the Valley and her personal story are just more reflective of the L.A. Federation of Labor.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Told she was not pretty enough for the movies, she turned to choreography instead and built an influential career on Broadway, where she worked on “Oklahoma!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
That worked against him once the bonanza in AI-related stocks began to falter in July.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
I don’t know if anybody would vote for her, but Jessica was smart and nice and she’d been to lots of schools, so she knew how things worked.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
When they start shooting a movie together, they begin to understand their connection to this ancient evil, and their place in a cyclical inferno wrought by absent parents and bad weather.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
But the transformations wrought by Gaudí and his collaborators are a triumph of architectural and sculptural imagination that has no real analogue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Hardwood floors run throughout the property, including in the bedrooms, save for the entryway which features a terracotta tile and a wrought iron staircase leading up to the second level.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
After two major earthquakes hit Venezuela on Wednesday, aerial footage has revealed the destruction wrought in the coastal city of La Guaira.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
They were so wrought and poised upon their huge hinges, posts of steel driven into the living stone, that when unbarred they could be moved with a light thrust of the arms, noiselessly.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
"It is about respecting work, backing our communities and giving working people real power over the future, not asking them simply to live with decisions made elsewhere."
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Levy and Gosling are currently working together on “Star Wars: Starfighter,” the upcoming Lucasfilm title starring the “Barbie” actor as Kade Auberon — a mysterious starfighter pilot “from the wrong side of the galaxy.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Right now, diplomacy doesn’t seem to be working.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
"We are working hard to restore access to these important features as quickly as possible," he wrote, assuring that the company was working "to make Discord safer for teens."
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Imani called in sick today, so I’m covering the breakfast rush at the OldMill instead of working my usual shift at the marina.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
