English dictionary
Info: This web site is based on WordNet 3.0 from Princeton University.
English noun: work | |||
| 1. | work (act) activity directed toward making or doing something | ||
| Samples | She checked several points needing further work. | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | activity | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | action, aid, attention, busywork, care, coursework, duty, heavy lifting, housekeeping, housewifery, housework, investigating, investigation, ironing, job, job, labor, labor, labour, lavation, logging, loose end, make-work, mission, missionary work, nightwork, operation, paperwork, polishing, procedure, project, service, shining, social service, spadework, subbing, substituting, task, tending, timework, toil, undertaking, unfinished business, wash, washing, welfare work | ||
| 2. | work (artifact) a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing | ||
| Samples | 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 | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | product, production | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | caning, chef-d'oeuvre, follow-up, followup, handcraft, handicraft, handiwork, handwork, ironwork, lacework, lacquerware, leatherwork, masterpiece, metalwork, openwork, polychrome, publication, silverwork, wicker, wickerwork, woodwork, work in progress, workpiece | ||
| 3. | work (act) the occupation for which you are paid | ||
| Samples | He is looking for employment. A lot of people are out of work. | ||
| Synonyms | employment | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | business, job, line, line of work, occupation | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | booking, coaching, coaching job, engagement, ministry, navigation, paper route, piecework, public service, sailing, seafaring, service, services, telecommuting, teleworking, work load, workload | ||
| 4. | work (cognition) applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading) | ||
| Samples | Mastering a second language requires a lot of work. No schools offer graduate study in interior design. | ||
| Synonyms | study | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | acquisition, learning | ||
| 5. | work (phenomenon) (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 | ||
| Samples | Work equals force times distance. | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | energy, free energy | ||
| Domain category | natural philosophy, physics | ||
| 6. | work (artifact) a place where work is done | ||
| Samples | He arrived at work early today. | ||
| Synonyms | workplace | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | geographic point, geographical point | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | bakehouse, bakery, bakeshop, beehive, brokerage, brokerage house, central, colliery, creamery, drill site, exchange, exchange, farm, fish farm, fishery, forge, gasworks, glassworks, ironworks, job, lab, laboratory, laundry, location, lumberyard, oyster bank, oyster bed, oyster park, piscary, pit, proving ground, research lab, research laboratory, rope yard, ropewalk, roundhouse, science lab, science laboratory, shipyard, shop, shop floor, smithy, studio, studio, tannery, telephone exchange, test bed, waterworks, workshop | ||
| Part holonym | locker room | ||
| 7. | work (artifact) the total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it) | ||
| Samples | He studied the entire Wagnerian oeuvre. Picasso's work can be divided into periods. | ||
| Synonyms | body of work, oeuvre | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | end product, output | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | writing | ||
English verb: work | |||
| 1. | work (social) exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity | ||
| Samples | I will work hard to improve my grades. She worked hard for better living conditions for the poor. | ||
| Examples | Sam and Sue work | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s PP | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | assist, beaver, beaver away, boondoggle, busy, carpenter, clerk, collaborate, cooperate, electioneer, get together, go through, intern, join forces, keep one's nose to the grindstone, keep one's shoulder to the wheel, mess around, minister, monkey, monkey around, muck about, muck around, occupy, page, peg away, plug away, potter, pull one's weight, putter, run through, scant, serve, skimp, skipper, slog, specialise, specialize, tinker, volunteer, wait, waitress, whore, work, work at, work on, work through | ||
| Verb group | do work, work | ||
| Antonyms | laze, idle, slug, stagnate | ||
| 2. | work (social) be employed | ||
| Samples | 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 | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s PP | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | bank, blackleg, break one's back, buckle down, dig, drive, drudge, fag, farm, fill, fink, freelance, grind, job, knuckle down, labor, labour, man, moil, moonlight, occupy, rat, scab, serve, serve, slave, subcontract, take, tinker, toil, travail, turn a trick | ||
| Verb group | put to work, work, work, work | ||
| 3. | work (social) have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected | ||
| Samples | 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 | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s. Something is ----ing PP | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | bring home the bacon, come through, deliver the goods, succeed, win | ||
| Verb group | bring, make for, play, work, wreak | ||
| 4. | work (contact) perform as expected when applied | ||
| Samples | 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. | ||
| Examples | These cars won't work | ||
| Synonyms | function, go, operate, run | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | cut, double, roll, run, serve, service | ||
| Verb group | run, work | ||
| Antonyms | malfunction, misfunction | ||
| 5. | work (creation) shape, form, or improve a material | ||
| Samples | Work stone into tools. Process iron. Work the metal. | ||
| Synonyms | process, work on | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | transform, transmute, transubstantiate | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | cold work, coldwork, hot-work, make over, overwork, rack, retread, rework, till, tool | ||
| Verb group | forge, form, mold, mould, shape, work | ||
| 6. | work (body) give a workout to | ||
| Samples | Some parents exercise their infants. My personal trainer works me hard. Work one's muscles. This puzzle will exercise your mind. | ||
| Examples | They work the animals | ||
| Synonyms | exercise, work out | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | put to work, work | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | warm up | ||
| Cause | exercise, work out | ||
| Verb group | exercise, work out | ||
| 7. | work (motion) proceed along a path | ||
| Samples | Work one's way through the crowd. Make one's way into the forest. | ||
| Examples | They work up the hill | ||
| Synonyms | make | ||
| Pattern of use | Something is ----ing PP. Somebody ----s PP | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | go across, go through, pass | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | bushwhack, claw, jostle | ||
| Verb group | work | ||
| 8. | work (social) operate in a certain place, area, or specialty | ||
| Samples | She works the night clubs. The salesman works the Midwest. This artist works mostly in acrylics. | ||
| Examples | They work in the city | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s PP | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | work | ||
| Verb group | do work, work | ||
| 9. | work (social) proceed towards a goal or along a path or through an activity | ||
| Samples | 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. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s PP | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | go, move, proceed | ||
| Verb group | make, work | ||
| 10. | work (motion) move in an agitated manner | ||
| Samples | His fingers worked with tension. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | displace, move | ||
| 11. | work (creation) cause to happen or to occur as a consequence | ||
| Samples | I cannot work a miracle. Wreak havoc. Bring comments. Play a joke. The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area. | ||
| Synonyms | bring, make for, play, wreak | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | create, make | ||
| Verb group | act, work | ||
| 12. | work (social) cause to work | ||
| Samples | He is working his servants hard. | ||
| Examples | They work the animals | ||
| Synonyms | put to work | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | computerise, computerize, cybernate, exercise, exploit, overwork, rack, warm up, work, work out | ||
| Cause | do work, work | ||
| Verb group | do work, work | ||
| 13. | work (creation) prepare for crops | ||
| Samples | Work the soil. Cultivate the land. | ||
| Synonyms | crop, cultivate | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | fix, gear up, prepare, ready, set, set up | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | overcrop, overcultivate | ||
| Verb group | knead, work | ||
| Domain category | agriculture, farming, husbandry | ||
| 14. | work (stative) behave in a certain way when handled | ||
| Samples | This dough does not work easily. The soft metal works well. | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s Adjective/Noun | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | be | ||
| Verb group | knead, work | ||
| 15. | work (social) have and exert influence or effect | ||
| Samples | The artist's work influenced the young painter. She worked on her friends to support the political candidate. | ||
| Synonyms | act upon, influence | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody. Something ----s something. Somebody ----s PP | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | affect, bear on, bear upon, impact, touch, touch on | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | blackjack, blackmail, carry, color, colour, dominate, fix, form, get at, imprint, manipulate, militate, persuade, prejudice, prepossess, pressure, pull strings, pull wires, sway, swing, swing over | ||
| 16. | work (social) operate in or through | ||
| Samples | Work the phones. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | operate, run | ||
| Verb group | function, go, operate, run, work, work | ||
| 17. | work (social) cause to operate or function | ||
| Samples | This pilot works the controls. Can you work an electric drill?. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | care, deal, handle, manage | ||
| Verb group | work | ||
| 18. | work (perception) provoke or excite | ||
| Samples | The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | excite, stimulate, stir | ||
| Verb group | exploit, work, work | ||
| 19. | work (emotion) gratify and charm, usually in order to influence | ||
| Samples | The political candidate worked the crowds. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | becharm, beguile, bewitch, captivate, capture, catch, charm, enamor, enamour, enchant, entrance, fascinate, trance | ||
| Verb group | work | ||
| 20. | work (creation) make something, usually for a specific function | ||
| Samples | She molded the rice balls carefully. Form cylinders from the dough. Shape a figure. Work the metal into a sword. | ||
| Synonyms | forge, form, mold, mould, shape | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s something PP | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | create from raw material, create from raw stuff | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | beat, carve, cast, chip, coil, cut out, grind, hand-build, handbuild, hill, layer, machine, model, mold, mold, mould, mould, mound, preform, preform, puddle, remold, reshape, roughcast, sculpt, sculpture, sinter, stamp, swage, throw, upset | ||
| Verb group | process, work, work on | ||
| 21. | work (contact) move into or onto | ||
| Samples | Work the raisins into the dough. The student worked a few jokes into his presentation. Work the body onto the flatbed truck. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s PP | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | displace, move | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | stir | ||
| 22. | work (contact) make uniform | ||
| Samples | Knead dough. Work the clay until it is soft. | ||
| Synonyms | knead | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | manipulate | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | masticate, proof | ||
| Verb group | crop, cultivate, work, work | ||
| 23. | work (consumption) use or manipulate to one's advantage | ||
| Samples | He exploit the new taxation system. She knows how to work the system. He works his parents for sympathy. | ||
| Synonyms | exploit | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | avail, feed, help, make hay, play, prey, use | ||
| Verb group | work | ||
| 24. | work (cognition) find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of | ||
| Samples | 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 | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | understand | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | answer, answer, break, guess, infer, resolve, riddle, strike | ||
| Entail | reason | ||
| 25. | work (change) cause to undergo fermentation | ||
| Samples | 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 | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | convert | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | vinify | ||
| Cause | ferment, sour, turn, work | ||
| Verb group | ferment, sour, turn, work | ||
| 26. | work (change) go sour or spoil | ||
| Samples | The milk has soured. The wine worked. The cream has turned--we have to throw it out. | ||
| Synonyms | ferment, sour, turn | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | change state, turn | ||
| Verb group | ferment, work | ||
| 27. | work (change) arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion | ||
| Samples | The stitches of the hem worked loose after she wore the skirt many times. | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s Adjective/Noun | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | become, get, go | ||
Based on WordNet 3.0 copyright © Princeton University.
Web design: Orcapia v/Per Bang. English edition: .
2025 onlineordbog.dk
Web design: Orcapia v/Per Bang. English edition: .
2025 onlineordbog.dk