worked

American  

[wurkt] / wɜrkt /

adjective

1. that has undergone work. working.

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worked British  

/ wɜːkt /

adjective

1. made or decorated with evidence of workmanship; wrought, as with embroidery or tracery

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Related Words

Worked, wrought both apply to something on which effort has been applied. Worked implies expended effort of almost any kind: a worked silver mine. Wrought implies fashioning, molding, or making, especially of metals: wrought iron.

Other Word Forms

• unworked adjective
• well-worked adjective

Etymology

Origin of worked

First recorded in 1700–10; work + -ed ²

Example Sentences

That approach worked extremely well during the luxury boom years, when Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga expanded rapidly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Karen Jones, who works in the local café Food for Thought, says it's the quietest she's known Cardigan to be in the four years she's worked here.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

It’s about understanding what worked, what didn’t, and what that says about where future opportunities may lie next.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Lopes’ mother, Mary Rose, worked as a domestic.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

At least, at noontime we were given a boiled potato and some thin soup; those who worked inside the camp had no midday meal.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom