English dictionary
work meaning and definition
Definition and meaning of work at MeaningMonkey.org. work meaning and definition in the English Dictionary.WORK noun
Definition of work (noun)
- activity directed toward making or doing something
- "she checked several points needing further work"
- a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing
- "it is not regarded as one of his more memorable works"; "the symphony was hailed as an ingenious work"; "he was indebted to the pioneering work of John Dewey"; "the work of an active imagination"; "erosion is the work of wind or water over time"
- synonyms: piece of work
- the occupation for which you are paid
- "he is looking for employment"; "a lot of people are out of work"
- synonyms: employment
- applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading)
- "mastering a second language requires a lot of work"; "no schools offer graduate study in interior design"
- synonyms: study
- (physics) a manifestation of energy; the transfer of energy from one physical system to another expressed as the product of a force and the distance through which it moves a body in the direction of that force
- "work equals force times distance"
- a place where work is done
- "he arrived at work early today"
- synonyms: workplace
- the total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it)
- "he studied the entire Wagnerian oeuvre"; "Picasso's work can be divided into periods"
- synonyms: body of work, oeuvre
WORK verb
Definition of work (verb)
- exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
- "I will work hard to improve my grades"; "she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor"
- antonym: idle
- be employed
- "Is your husband working again?"; "My wife never worked"; "Do you want to work after the age of 60?"; "She never did any work because she inherited a lot of money"; "She works as a waitress to put herself through college"
- synonyms: do work
- have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected
- "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"; "How does your idea work in practice?"; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"; "The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water"
- synonyms: act
- perform as expected when applied
- "The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in"; "Does this old car still run well?"; "This old radio doesn't work anymore"
- synonyms: function, go, operate, run
- antonym: malfunction
- shape, form, or improve a material
- give a workout to
- proceed along a path
- "work one's way through the crowd"; "make one's way into the forest"
- synonyms: make
- operate in a certain place, area, or specialty
- "She works the night clubs"; "The salesman works the Midwest"; "This artist works mostly in acrylics"
- proceed towards a goal or along a path or through an activity
- "work your way through every problem or task"; "She was working on her second martini when the guests arrived"; "Start from the bottom and work towards the top"
- move in an agitated manner
- "His fingers worked with tension"
- cause to happen or to occur as a consequence
- cause to work
- "he is working his servants hard"
- synonyms: put to work
- prepare for crops
- behave in a certain way when handled
- "This dough does not work easily"; "The soft metal works well"
- have and exert influence or effect
- operate in or through
- "Work the phones"
- cause to operate or function
- "This pilot works the controls"; "Can you work an electric drill?"
- provoke or excite
- "The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy"
- gratify and charm, usually in order to influence
- "the political candidate worked the crowds"
- make something, usually for a specific function
- move into or onto
- "work the raisins into the dough"; "the student worked a few jokes into his presentation"; "work the body onto the flatbed truck"
- make uniform
- "knead dough"; "work the clay until it is soft"
- synonyms: knead
- use or manipulate to one's advantage
- "He exploit the new taxation system"; "She knows how to work the system"; "he works his parents for sympathy"
- synonyms: exploit
- find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
- "did you solve the problem?"; "Work out your problems with the boss"; "this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out"; "did you get it?"; "Did you get my meaning?"; "He could not work the math problem"
- synonyms: figure out, lick, puzzle out, solve, work out
- cause to undergo fermentation
- "We ferment the grapes for a very long time to achieve high alcohol content"; "The vintner worked the wine in big oak vats"
- synonyms: ferment
- go sour or spoil
- arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion
- "The stitches of the hem worked loose after she wore the skirt many times"
Source: Princeton University Wordnet