work

SayWURK/wɝk//wɜːk/AUS/wɵːk/

Verbworks, working, worked

Noun pluralworks

Often confused with job

40 meanings of work

Practice

1
be employedverbintransitive
To have a job, for example in an office, for a company, as a teacher, or with children.
I work with computers all day.
She works with children who cannot hear.
2
verbintransitive
To do a job or task using your body or your mind.
Dad worked all morning to fix the broken gate.
We must work hard to clean the whole house today.
UsageSay work hard. Hardly work means almost not working.
Similarlabor, toil
Oppositerest, relax
3
functionverbintransitive
To do what it is meant to do, or to have the result you wanted.
Does the car still work?
I put my wet phone in a bag of rice, but it didn't work.
UsageSay it won't work on me.
Similarfunction, operate, run, succeed
Oppositefail, malfunction
4
nouncountable or uncountable
The job you do to earn money, or the tasks it involves.
My uncle lost his job and is looking for work.
She found work at a bakery.
UsageSay find work or find a job. A work is a book or a painting.
Similarjob, employment, occupation
Note
5
creative piecenouncountable
A book, painting, piece of music or other thing that someone creates.
The statue is a work of art.
The complete works of Shakespeare fill a shelf.
UsageOne painting is a work of art. All of a writer's books are their works.
Similarpiece, opus
Note
6
tasks to donouncountable or uncountable
A task or tasks that need to be done.
I can't go out tonight because I have work to finish.
I brought some work home for the weekend.
Similartasks, assignments, workload
7
exertionnouncountable or uncountable
The effort needed to do a particular task.
Painting the whole house by ourselves was a lot of work.
Learning to play the violin well takes years of hard work.
UsageSay a lot of work or hard work.
Similareffort, labor, toil, exertion
Oppositerest, leisure, play
8
nouncountable or uncountable
The place where you do your job, or the company you work for.
I usually take the train to work, but today I drove.
I left my umbrella at work.
UsageSay at work and go to work, with no "the".
Similarworkplace
9
verbtransitive or intransitive
To do your job in a certain place, area or field.
Our mail carrier works the east side of town.
Many comedians work the clubs for years before they ever get on TV.
Similarcover, patrol, canvass
Note
10
gradual progressverbtransitive or intransitive
To move slowly or with effort, little by little, or to make something move like that.
She slowly worked the ring off her swollen finger.
You have to work your way up in this company.
Similarinch, edge
11
noununcountablein compounds
Things made from a certain material or in a certain way, as in stonework or needlework.
Look at the lovely beadwork on this little bag.
The old church floor is covered in beautiful mosaic work.
UsageSome are one word, like stonework. Some are two, like filigree work.
Note

Less common meanings

12
bring aboutverbtransitive
In law and some set phrases, to cause something to happen or result.
Nobody can work a miracle in a week.
A missed deadline works a forfeiture under the contract.
UsageOutside law, common phrases are work wonders and work miracles: a rest can work wonders.
Similareffect, cause, produce
Note
13
shape (material)verbtransitive
To shape a material or handle it to make it better.
You have to work the leather with oil to make it soft.
She worked the clay with her thumbs.
Similarshape, knead, mold, form, fashion
14
carry off (style)verbslangtransitive
To wear or do something with style and confidence.
She is working that dress like nobody's business.
Few people can work a hat like he does.
UsagePeople shout work it! to cheer someone on.
Similarrock, own
Note
15
manipulateverbtransitive
To cleverly use or influence people or rules to get what you want.
He knows how to work his teachers to get extra time on homework.
He worked his contacts to land the job.
Similarmanipulate, exploit, game
16
verbtransitive or intransitive
To use or control a machine or other equipment.
She's working the phones for the campaign.
Can you show me how to work this coffee machine?
Similaroperate, man, handle
17
noundatedcountable or uncountable
A factory where goods are made. People today usually call it a works.
Similarfactory, plant, mill
Note
18
force times distancenouncountable or uncountable
In science, the energy passed to something when a force moves it, or the useful energy a machine gives out.
Lifting the box does work against gravity.
Push a wall all day and, in physics, you have done no work.
UsageIn science, say work is done (on something) or a force does work.
Note
19
cosmetic surgerynouneuphemisticcountable or uncountable
A polite way of talking about surgery to change how someone looks.
After saving for years, my aunt finally had some work done on her nose.
Her face looks different. Do you think she had some work done?
UsageSay someone had work done.
Similarsurgery
Note
20
force to laborverbtransitive
To force people or animals to do hard tasks.
He works his staff far too hard.
Never work a horse in this heat.
Similardrive, push
21
mineverbtransitive
To dig coal, ore or stone out of a mine or quarry.
The mine was worked until the last ore was gone.
They will work the seam for another decade.
Similarexploit, mine
22
be convenientverbintransitive
To be good, okay, or easy for someone or for a situation, usually used with "for."
Does three o'clock work for you?
A small table works well for our tiny kitchen.
UsageAsk does Friday work for you? Answer that works.
Similarsuit
Note
23
nouncountable
Something a person does, especially a kind act that helps others. It is usually used in the plural.
She was loved in the town for her good works.
The church teaches that caring for the sick is a work of mercy.
UsageMostly in good works. In everyday talk, say good deeds.
Similardeed, act
Note
24
who did itnoununcountable
The result of what someone or something has done, often used to say who or what caused it.
The broken window was the work of some kids playing ball.
These smooth, round stones are the work of the river.
UsageSay it was the work of someone.
Similarhandiwork, doing, product, result
25
noun
A wall or other structure built to defend a place.
26
nounslang
Violence done by gangs in prison.
27
nounslang
A planned fight or event made to look real.
28
noun
Rock with metal in it, before it is crushed and sorted.
29
nounslang
The needles and other things used to inject drugs.
30
noun
The bold self-confidence that a drag performer shows.
31
verb
To move something little by little with effort.
32
verb
To sew patterns onto cloth.
33
verb
Of beer or wine, to bubble as it changes.
34
verb
To make beer or wine start to bubble and change.
35
verb
To change how someone thinks or feels.
36
verb
To move about in a restless way.
37
verb
Of a material, to be easy or hard to shape.
38
verbliterary
To do good or harm to someone.
39
verbobsolete
Of a part of the body, to be sore.
‘I wolde hit were so,’ seyde the Kynge, ‘but I may nat stonde, my hede worchys so—’
1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur
40
verb
To act or perform in a bold, proud way, like a drag queen.

More uses

workslarge building or engineering projects, such as roadworks

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of work apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 4–8, 11, 17–19, 23–24

This noun comes from Old English 'weorc', going back to Proto-Germanic and an even older Proto-Indo-European root meaning work.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The noun comes from Old English weorc. en.wiktionary.org
Its ancestry goes back through Proto-Germanic to Proto-Indo-European. en.wiktionary.org
The ancestral Proto-Indo-European root has the meaning work. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 1–3, 9–10, 12–16, 20–22

This verb comes from Old English 'wyrċan', from a Proto-Germanic word meaning to work, from the same old root '*werǵ-'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The verb descends from Old English wyrċan. en.wiktionary.org
Its Proto-Germanic ancestor meant to work. en.wiktionary.org
The verb ultimately derives from the root *werǵ-. en.wiktionary.org