task

[ task, tahsk ]

/ tæsk, tɑsk /

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See synonyms for: task / tasked / tasking / tasks on Thesaurus.com

noun

a definite piece of work assigned to, falling to, or expected of a person; duty.

any piece of work.

a matter of considerable labor or difficulty.

Obsolete. a tax or impost.

verb (used with object)

to subject to severe or excessive labor or exertion; put a strain upon (powers, resources, etc.).

to impose a task on.

Obsolete. to tax.

adjective

of or relating to a task or tasks: A task chart will help organize the department's work.

OTHER WORDS FOR task

1, 2 job, assignment.

See synonyms for task on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about task

take to task, to call to account; blame; censure: The teacher took them to task for not doing their homework.

Origin of task

1250–1300; Middle English (noun) <Medieval Latin tasca, metathetic variant of taxatax

synonym study for task

1, 2. Task, chore, job, assignment refer to a definite and specific instance or act of work. Task and chore and, to a lesser extent, job often imply work that is tiresome, arduous, or otherwise unpleasant. Task usually refers to a clearly defined piece of work, sometimes of short or limited duration, assigned to or expected of a person: the task of pacifying angry customers; a difficult, time-consuming task. A chore is a minor task, usually one of several performed as part of a routine, as in farming, and often more tedious than difficult: the daily chore of taking out the garbage; early morning chores of feeding the livestock. Job is the most general of these terms, referring to almost any work or responsibility, including a person's means of earning a living: the job of washing the windows; a well-paying job in advertising. Assignment refers to a specific task allocated to a person by someone in a position of authority: a homework assignment; a reporter's assignment to cover international news.

OTHER WORDS FROM task

taskless, adjectivesubtask, nounun·tasked, adjective

Words nearby task

Taser, Tashi Lama, Tashkent, Tashlikh, tasimeter, task, taskbar, task force, taskmaster, taskmistress, task-oriented

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use task in a sentence

They provide response playbooks, help assign tasks to the correct team members, and help capture records of how and when your company took action.
Here are the 19 companies presenting at Alchemist Accelerator Demo Day XXV today|Greg Kumparak|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
The beauty of it all is that once your papers are organized, your space is cleaner and your tasks are accomplished quicker.
Great filing cabinets for your home office|PopSci Commerce Team|September 17, 2020|Popular-Science
A hashtag challenge is a unique TikTok’s content format where brands ask users to post a certain task using a specific hashtag.
What you must know about TikTok for business|Connie Benton|September 17, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Today’s technologies aren’t up to the task of deep decarbonization.
To confront the climate crisis, the US should launch a National Energy Innovation Mission|Amy Nordrum|September 15, 2020|MIT Technology Review

You can also right-click on the app and choose End task from there.
Make online classes easier with these laptop shortcuts|Sandra Gutierrez G.|September 15, 2020|Popular-Science
In 2011 LGBT media outlet Queerty took the app to task for allegedly deleting accounts that made reference to being trans.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Detectives with a fugitive task force caught up with Polanco and a friend on a Bronx street in the early afternoon.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Sabrine is a trained lawyer, likely a helpful quality when your task is to push politicians.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was a complex task they were asked to do, and every cultural and experiential advantage would be required.
Why Did We Panic After 9/11 and Ignore All We Knew About Responding to Security Threats?|Deborah Pearlstein|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Before dying in 1219, Marshal would begin the task of rebuilding England after decades of war.
England’s Greatest Knight Puts ‘Game of Thrones’ to Shame|William O’Connor|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And it was no light task, then, for six hundred men to keep the peace on a thousand miles of frontier.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Will the new issues promptly retire when their special task is over?
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
He sighed as he laid the papers on the table; for he thought the task would be a harder one than even his own immolation.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Having accomplished his task within three months Datto Mandi withdrew with all his men, except two who wished to settle at Pardo.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Through the beautiful, windy autumn days, he labored at his difficult task, the task of telling a story.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux

British Dictionary definitions for task

task

/ (tɑːsk) /

noun

a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or chore

an unpleasant or difficult job or duty

any piece of work

take to task to criticize or reprove

verb (tr)

to assign a task to

to subject to severe strain; tax

Derived forms of task

tasker, nountaskless, adjective

Word Origin for task

C13: from Old French tasche, from Medieval Latin tasca, from taxa tax, from Latin taxāre to tax

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with task

task

see take to task.

task

OTHER WORDS FOR task

Idioms about task

Origin of task

synonym study for task

OTHER WORDS FROM task

Words nearby task

Words related to task

How to use task in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for task

Derived forms of task

Word Origin for task

Other Idioms and Phrases with task