task

[ task, tahsk ]

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.

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

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun, from Medieval Latin tasca, variant of taxa tax

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 for task

1, 2	job, assignment

See synonyms for task on Thesaurus.com

Other words from task

taskless, adjective
subtask, noun
un·tasked, adjective

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

How to use task in a sentence

Republican political operative Karl Rove has been tasked with coordinating funds for his party’s candidates.
All Eyes on Georgia | Tracy Moran | November 19, 2020 | Ozy
I ran the MacBook Air through the popular benchmarking software, Geekbench 5, which puts computers through a standardized set of computing tasks and spits out a score to help compare one machine to another.
Apple’s M1 chip makes the new MacBook Air shockingly good | Stan Horaczek | November 18, 2020 | Popular-Science
The fictional series features a budding sexual relationship between rebellious fashion designer Malcolm, played by Jackson, and a no-nonsense fashion editor, Nina, who is tasked with interviewing him.
‘Insecure’ Star Sarunas J. Jackson Launches Erotic Audio Series | Joe Colucci | November 11, 2020 | Essence.com
They have discrete sections that are dedicated to different tasks.
Podcast: Can you teach a machine common sense? | Anthony Green | November 11, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
The report also found that Pelletier and his staff of three devote too much time to administrative tasks rather than the quality of services provided to clients.
Maine Governor Won’t Fund Reforms for Public Defense Agency Without Accountability | by Samantha Hogan, The Maine Monitor | November 11, 2020 | ProPublica

Her time at the DNC appears to have been a multi-tasking experience.
Anna Wintour Hires From Within Democratic National Committee | Misty White Sidell | April 25, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
In Rounders, John Malkovich threw himself into the tasking of speaking in a 24-inch thick Russian immigrant tongue.
Stars Who Can't Do Accents | Richard Rushfield | December 9, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
No doubt it is difficult to be patient where there is no time; and what with our contemporary over-tasking, there is no time.
Criminal Psychology | Hans Gross
The mountaineers lived on grizzly bears—food which it was impossible to seize without tasking their energies to the utmost.
The Library and Society | Various
Dorcas stepped forward with the light obedience given to happy tasking.
Meadow Grass | Alice Brown
When the fearful visitor did appear, Hiram bitterly regretted tasking his brain so severely.
Continental Monthly, Volume 5, Issue 4 | Various
I became discouraged, though, when I found that I remained as fat as ever; and began tasking my brain for some other expedient.
A Grandmother's Recollections | Ella Rodman

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

Origin of task

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

Derived forms of task

tasker, noun
taskless, adjective

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.

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