Work | Mean of work in English Dictionary

/ˈwɚk/

• Verb
• to have a job
1. I started working when I was sixteen.
2. Her husband doesn't work.
3. She works part-time at the restaurant.
4. She has always wanted to work in advertising.
5. She works with me. = She and I work together. [=she and I have jobs at the same place]
6. men and women who work outside the home [=who have jobs in factories, restaurants, office buildings, etc.]
7. She has to work two jobs to support her family.
8. He works construction. [=he has a job in which he helps build things]
• to do things as part of your job
1. She worked through lunch to get the report done.
2. I'm not working tomorrow—the boss gave me the day off.
3. He works from home. [=his job allows him to stay home and do his work]
4. I work for him. [=I am his employee]
5. I work under her. [=she is my boss/supervisor]
6. He works about 60 hours a week.
7. The job requires that you work some nights and weekends.
8. She is used to working long hours.
• to do work in, on, or at (an area, event, etc.)
1. She works the Northeast region of the state selling insurance.
2. He was hired as a sportscaster to work the games this season.
3. Crews work the quarry all day and night.
4. farmers working the fields
5. Our family has worked this land for centuries.

• to do something that involves physical or mental effort
1. She is working in the garden.
2. They worked all day (at) cleaning the house.
3. I can't work with all of this noise.
4. The principal worked hard to improve the school.
5. We're working toward a solution.
6. I enjoy working with my hands. [=using my hands to do or make things]
7. a sculptor who works in/with stone [=who makes things out of stone]
• to force (someone or something) to do something that involves physical or mental effort
1. The exercise is designed to work the muscles in your chest.
2. The coach worked her team hard during practice.
3. She worked us into the ground. [=she made us work very hard and become very tired]
• to use and control (something)
1. I don't know how to work your cell phone.
2. Who is working the machine?
3. The pump is worked by hand.
• to perform or operate in the correct way
1. The computer isn't working (properly).
2. Is the elevator working again?
3. I can't get this thing to work.
• to have the intended effect or result
1. The medicine seems to be working.
2. Their plan worked.
3. The idea sounds good in theory, but it will never work in practice.
4. The commercial doesn't work for me. [=I don't like it; it doesn't affect me the way it is supposed to]
5. a dish detergent that works like magic [=that is very effective]
• to have a particular effect or result
1. You need to do what works best for you.
2. Red curtains would work well in this room.
3. I think you'll get the job. Being bilingual definitely works in your favor. [=it helps or benefits you]
4. Her lack of experience worked against her in the election. [=it made her less likely to win in the election]
• to cause (something) to happen
1. I'll do my best, but I can't work miracles. [=I can't make miracles happen]
2. He's a brilliant chef who works magic [=does special or remarkable things] with the most basic ingredients.
• to move (something) into or out of a particular position slowly or with difficulty
1. She worked her foot into the shoe.
2. The screw had worked itself loose. [=the screw had become loose]
3. The glue would stop the knot from working loose. [=from becoming loose]
• to bring (something) into a desired shape or form by cutting it, pressing it, etc.
1. Work the dough with your hands until it is smooth.
2. a blacksmith working a piece of iron
• to talk to and try to gain the friendship or support of (the people in a group)
1. The singer worked the crowd throughout the whole concert.
2. He's a politician who really knows how to work a room. [=how to talk to the people in a room to get their support, approval, etc.]
• to organize things or proceed in a way that avoids (something, such as a problem)
1. We'll just have to find a way to work around the problem.
• to start talking or writing about (a subject, issue, etc.) after talking or writing about other things
1. He eventually worked around to the company's financial situation.
• to make an effort to do (something) better
1. He needs to work at his handwriting.
2. She has been working (harder) at controlling her temper.
• to add or include (something) in a conversation, essay, etc.
1. During the speech, he worked in a few jokes.
2. She worked in several important points in her article.
• to stir or mix (something) into something
1. Work in the blueberries.
• to make an amount of time available for (someone or something)
1. My schedule is pretty full, but I think I can work you in [=fit you in] at 11:30.
• to add or include (something) in (something)
1. You should work more fresh fruit into your diet.
2. She tried to find a way of working her question into the conversation.
• to stir or mix (something) into (something)
1. Work the blueberries into the mixture.
• to gradually cause (someone) to be in (an excited, angry, or frightened state)
1. The DJ worked the crowd into a frenzy.
2. He worked himself into a rage/panic.
• to arrange your activities in a particular way so that it is possible for something to happen or be done
1. I'm supposed to be helping my sister that night, but I'll try to work things so that I can come to your party.
• to pay (a debt) by working
1. She worked off her loan.
2. His parents are making him work off the cost of the bike he ruined.
• to lose or get rid of (something) by physical activity
1. He walks every day to work the extra weight off.
2. Jogging is a great way to work off stress.
• to be in the process of making (something), doing (something), etc.
1. The director is working on a new movie.
2. I worked on this physics problem for three hours.
3. He is in the garage working on the car.
4. Scientists are beginning to work on a cure.
• to make an effort to do (something)
1. They are currently working on finding a cure. [=trying to find a cure]
2. You have to work on controlling your temper.
• to try to influence or persuade (someone) to do something
1. She is working on them to change their votes.
• to perform athletic exercises in order to improve your health or physical fitness
1. She works out at the gym twice a week.
• to happen, develop, or end in a desired or successful way
1. Our plan worked out perfectly.
2. We broke up because things didn't work out between us.
• to happen, develop, or end in a particular way or to have a particular result
1. Despite some difficulties, everything worked out well.
2. Things don't always work out the way you want them to.
3. I'm not sure how the story will work out.
4. How is your new roommate working out? [=how are things going with your new roommate?]
5. It will work out (to be) cheaper [=it will be cheaper] if we take the bus instead of the train.
6. With tax, it worked out at/to just over $115. [=the total amount was just over $115]
• to find or create (something, such as a solution or a plan) by thinking
1. I'm trying to work out [=figure out] a way to do it.
2. We worked out a plan to save money.
3. We'll work the details out later.
4. I don't know how you're going to get there. You have to work that out for yourself.
• to use mathematics to solve (something)
1. She worked out the problem on a piece of paper.
• to understand the behavior of (someone)
1. He does these crazy things, and I just can't work him out. [=figure him out]
• to hurt (someone) by hitting, kicking, etc.
1. He looked like someone had worked him over [=beat him up] pretty good.
• to deal with (something that is difficult or unpleasant) successfully
1. He saw a psychologist to help him work through his depression.
2. She worked through the pain without medication.
• to work within the limits of (something)
1. We have to work to a very tight budget.
• to make (someone) feel very angry, excited, upset, etc.
1. Don't work yourself up again.
• to produce (something) by physical or mental effort
1. I worked up a sweat at the gym.
2. He managed to work up the courage to ask her out on a date.
• to improve your skill at (something) or increase your knowledge of (something)
1. I need to work up my French for the exam.
• to develop or expand (something)
1. He worked up the short story into a novel.
• to reach (something, such as a rate or level) by gradually increasing in speed, intensity, etc.
1. The ship gradually worked up to full speed.
2. The story starts slow but works up to a brilliant conclusion.
• to move yourself into or out of a particular position slowly or with difficulty
1. The prisoner somehow worked his way out of the handcuffs.
2. I worked my way to the center of the crowd.
3. They started working their way cautiously down the side of the mountain.
4. He had worked his way into her heart.
5. She is slowly working her way to the top of the company.
6. He is working his way through college.
• Noun
• a job or activity that you do regularly especially in order to earn money
1. How is work [=your job] going?
2. She is trying to find work in publishing.
3. How long have you been looking for work?
4. He started work as a car salesman.
5. I know him through work.
6. When do you get off work? [=when do you stop working for the day?]
7. She goes to the gym after work. [=after she has finished working]
8. full-time/part-time work
9. She plans to return to work [=start working her job again] in four months.
10. What line of work is your wife in? = What does your wife do for work?
• the place where you do your job
1. She didn't come to work today.
2. He left work a few minutes ago.
3. She's not here right now. She's at work.
4. We met at work.
5. She went out with her friends from work.
• the things that you do especially as part of your job
1. Can you describe your work to the class?
2. A large part of the work is responding to e-mails.
3. administrative/secretarial work
4. My brother did the electrical work on the house.
5. After you finish your work, you can go outside and play.
6. I have a lot of work to do.
• things (such as papers, files, etc.) that you use to do your job
1. His work cluttered his desk.
2. She brought some work home with her from the office.
• physical or mental effort that is used to perform a job or achieve a goal
1. Getting my PhD took a lot of work, but it was worth it.
2. Hard work is the key to success.
3. Careful police work led to the murderer's capture.
4. She hasn't done any work since she got here.
• the process or activity of working
1. He plans to start work on a new novel soon.
2. The rain forced the crew to stop work on the building.
3. Work on the project is already underway. [=people have started working on the project]
4. You need to get down to work [=start working] if you want to finish the assignment on time.
5. She set to work [=started working] on the project immediately.
6. She diligently went about her work. [=did her work]
7. He was told to keep up the good work. [=to continue doing good work]
8. “I finished the project ahead of schedule.” “Good work!”
• something that is produced or done by someone
1. Some clever camera work gave the illusion that she was standing next to him.
2. The cabinets are the work of a skilled carpenter. [=the cabinets were made by a skilled carpenter]
3. The robberies were the work of [=were done by] the same gang.
• something (such as a book, song, or painting) that is produced by a writer, musician, artist, etc.
1. I love this painter's work.
2. the author's entire body of work
3. the complete/collected works of Charles Dickens
4. literary works
5. the painter's latest work
6. The painting is a work in progress. [=it is not yet finished]
• roads, bridges, dams, and similar structures
1. engineering works from the 19th century
• a place where industrial labor is done
1. He got a job at a cement/lead/steel works.
2. The local steel works have shut down.
• the moving parts of a machine
1. the works of a clock
2. The office used to be very efficient, but the new regulations have gummed up the works. [=made the work more difficult and slow]
• everything
1. They ordered a pizza with the works. [=with all the different toppings that were available]
2. When we went to New York, we visited the museums, did some shopping, saw some shows—the whole works.
• the energy that is used when a force is applied over a given distance
• actively doing work
1. He kept us hard at work but paid us well.
2. We're at work on the new project.
• doing your regular job
1. He has been out with a back injury, but he'll be back at work soon.
• having an effect or influence
1. She felt that a higher power was at work.
• in the process of being prepared, developed, or completed
1. Her next movie is already in the works.
2. Plans are in the works for building three new schools in the area.
• having a regular job
1. the percentage of people who are in work [=people who have jobs]
• to make it possible for (something) to be done quickly or easily
1. This new snow shovel makes short work of clearing off the driveway.
• to finish (something) or defeat (someone) quickly and easily
1. She made short work of her opponents.
2. The kids made quick work of the french fries. [=the kids ate the french fries quickly]
3. He made light work of the problem. [=he solved the problem quickly and easily]
• without a regular job
1. The factory closed and left/put 5,000 people out of work.
2. He has been out of work since January. [=he has not had a job since January]
• suitable to be worn while you are working
1. work clothes/boots
• used for work
1. a clean work surface/table
• of or relating to a person's job
1. What does your work schedule look like this week?
2. a 12-hour work shift
3. There is a place to list your work experience [=the jobs that you have had] on the application.
4. My parents both had a very strong work ethic. [=a strong belief in the value and importance of work]
5. She filed for a work permit. [=an official document that shows that a person is allowed to work]