Dictionary entry details
• WORK (noun)
Meaning:
Activity directed toward making or doing something
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Context example:
she checked several points needing further work
Hypernyms ("work" is a kind of...):
activity (any specific behavior)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "work"):
coursework (work assigned to and done by a student during a course of study; usually it is evaluated as part of the student's grade in the course)
paperwork (work that involves handling papers: forms or letters or reports etc.)
social service; welfare work (an organized activity to improve the condition of disadvantaged people in society)
labor; labour; toil (productive work (especially physical work done for wages))
subbing; substituting (working as a substitute for someone who is ill or on leave of absence)
investigating; investigation (the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically)
aid; attention; care; tending (the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something)
duty (work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons)
mission; missionary work (the organized work of a religious missionary)
spadework (dull or routine preliminary work preparing for an undertaking)
timework (work paid for at a rate per unit of time)
labor; project; task; undertaking (any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted)
nightwork (work to be done at night)
loose end; unfinished business (work that is left incomplete)
logging (the work of cutting down trees for timber)
lavation; wash; washing (the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water))
action (the most important or interesting work or activity in a specific area or field)
job (a damaging piece of work)
job (the performance of a piece of work)
operation; procedure (a process or series of acts especially of a practical or mechanical nature involved in a particular form of work)
service (work done by one person or group that benefits another)
polishing; shining (the work of making something smooth and shiny by rubbing or waxing it)
busywork; make-work (active work of little value)
ironing (the work of using heat to smooth washed clothes in order to remove any wrinkles)
housekeeping; housework (the work of cleaning and running a house)
housewifery (the work of a housewife)
heavy lifting (difficult work)
Meaning:
A product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Synonyms:
piece of work; work
Context examples:
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
Hypernyms ("work" is a kind of...):
product; production (an artifact that has been created by someone or some process)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "work"):
polychrome (a piece of work composed of or decorated in many colors)
silverwork (decorative work made of silver)
caning; wicker; wickerwork (work made of interlaced slender branches (especially willow branches))
woodwork (work made of wood; especially moldings or stairways or furniture)
work in progress (a piece of work that is not yet finished)
workpiece (work consisting of a piece of metal being machined)
publication (a copy of a printed work offered for distribution)
openwork (ornamental work (such a embroidery or latticework) having a pattern of openings)
metalwork (the metal parts of something)
follow-up; followup (a piece of work that exploits or builds on earlier work)
handcraft; handicraft; handiwork; handwork (a work produced by hand labor)
ironwork (work made of iron (gratings or rails or railings etc))
lacework (work consisting of (or resembling) lace fabric)
lacquerware (a decorative work made of wood and covered with lacquer and often inlaid with ivory or precious metals)
leatherwork (work made of leather)
chef-d'oeuvre; masterpiece (the most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman)
Meaning:
The occupation for which you are paid
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Synonyms:
employment; work
Context examples:
he is looking for employment / a lot of people are out of work
Hypernyms ("work" is a kind of...):
business; job; line; line of work; occupation (the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "work"):
paper route (the job of delivering newspapers regularly)
public service (employment within a government system (especially in the civil service))
services (performance of duties or provision of space and equipment helpful to others)
telecommuting; teleworking (employment at home while communicating with the workplace by phone or fax or modem)
service (employment in or work for another)
piecework (work paid for according to the quantity produced)
workload (work that a person is expected to do in a specified time)
navigation; sailing; seafaring (the work of a sailor)
ministry (the work of a minister of religion)
booking; engagement (employment for performers or performing groups that lasts for a limited period of time)
coaching; coaching job (the job of a professional coach)
Meaning:
Applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Synonyms:
study; work
Context examples:
mastering a second language requires a lot of work / no schools offer graduate study in interior design
Hypernyms ("work" is a kind of...):
acquisition; learning (the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge)
Meaning:
The total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Synonyms:
body of work; oeuvre; work
Context examples:
he studied the entire Wagnerian oeuvre / Picasso's work can be divided into periods
Hypernyms ("work" is a kind of...):
end product; output (final product; the things produced)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "work"):
writing ((usually plural) the collected work of an author)
Meaning:
A place where work is done
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Synonyms:
workplace; work
Context example:
he arrived at work early today
Hypernyms ("work" is a kind of...):
geographic point; geographical point (a point on the surface of the Earth)
Meronyms (parts of "work"):
locker room (a room (as at an athletic facility or workplace) where you can change clothes and which contains lockers for the temporary storage of your clothing and personal possessions)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "work"):
rope yard; ropewalk (workplace consisting of a long narrow path or shed where rope is made)
proving ground (a workplace for testing new equipment or ideas)
oyster bank; oyster bed; oyster park (a workplace where oysters are bred and grown)
lumberyard (a workplace where lumber is stocked for sale)
location (a workplace away from a studio at which some or all of a movie may be made)
laundry (workplace where clothes are washed and ironed)
roundhouse (workplace consisting of a circular building for repairing locomotives)
shipyard (a workplace where ships are built or repaired)
shop floor (workplace consisting of the part of a factory housing the machines)
studio (workplace for the teaching or practice of an art)
studio (workplace consisting of a room or building where movies or television shows or radio programs are produced and recorded)
tannery (workplace where skins and hides are tanned)
test bed (a place equipped with instruments for testing (e.g. engines or machinery or computer programs etc.) under working conditions)
waterworks (workplace where water is stored and purified and distributed for a community)
shop; workshop (small workplace where handcrafts or manufacturing are done)
lab; laboratory; research lab; research laboratory; science lab; science laboratory (a workplace for the conduct of scientific research)
job (a workplace; as in the expression)
bakehouse; bakery; bakeshop (a workplace where baked goods (breads and cakes and pastries) are produced or sold)
beehive (any workplace where people are very busy)
brokerage; brokerage house (place where a broker conducts his business)
central; exchange; telephone exchange (a workplace that serves as a telecommunications facility where lines from telephones can be connected together to permit communication)
colliery; pit (a workplace consisting of a coal mine plus all the buildings and equipment connected with it)
creamery (a workplace where dairy products (butter and cheese etc.) are produced or sold)
drill site (workplace that is the site of a drill hole)
exchange (a workplace for buying and selling; open only to members)
farm (workplace consisting of farm buildings and cultivated land as a unit)
fishery; piscary (a workplace where fish are caught and processed and sold)
fish farm (a workplace (usually a pond) where fish are raised for food)
forge; smithy (a workplace where metal is worked by heating and hammering)
gasworks (the workplace where coal gas is manufactured)
glassworks (a workplace where glass is made)
ironworks (the workplace where iron is smelted or where iron goods are made)
Meaning:
(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
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Context example:
work equals force times distance
Hypernyms ("work" is a kind of...):
energy ((physics) the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs)
Domain category:
natural philosophy; physical science; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)
• WORK (verb)
Meaning:
Exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Context examples:
I will work hard to improve my grades / she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
collaborate; cooperate; get together; join forces (work together on a common enterprise of project)
volunteer (do volunteer work)
specialise; specialize (devote oneself to a special area of work)
minister (work as a minister)
intern (work as an intern)
skipper (work as the skipper on a vessel)
boondoggle (do useless, wasteful, or trivial work)
scant; skimp (work hastily or carelessly; deal with inadequately and superficially)
serve (devote (part of) one's life or efforts to, as of countries, institutions, or ideas)
work (operate in a certain place, area, or specialty)
busy; occupy (keep busy with)
keep one's nose to the grindstone; keep one's shoulder to the wheel; peg away; plug away; slog (work doggedly or persistently)
work at; work on (to exert effort in order to do, make, or perform something)
go through; run through; work through (apply thoroughly; think through)
mess around; monkey; monkey around; muck about; muck around; potter; putter; tinker (do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly)
carpenter (work as a carpenter)
clerk (work as a clerk, as in the legal business)
page (work as a page)
wait; waitress (serve as a waiter or waitress in a restaurant)
pull one's weight (do one's share in a common task)
electioneer (work actively for a political candidate or a party)
assist (act as an assistant in a subordinate or supportive function)
beaver; beaver away (work hard on something)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Sentence example:
Sam and Sue work
Antonym:
idle (be idle; exist in a changeless situation)
Meaning:
Be employed
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
do work; work
Context examples:
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
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
job (work occasionally)
man (take charge of a certain job; occupy a certain work place)
break one's back; buckle down; knuckle down; slave (work very hard, like a slave)
free-lance (work on a free lance basis)
subcontract (work under a subcontract; engage in a subcontract)
turn a trick (have a customer, of a prostitute)
freelance (work independently and on temporary contracts rather than for a long-term employer)
moonlight (work a second job, usually after hours)
farm (be a farmer; work as a farmer)
dig; drudge; fag; grind; labor; labour; moil; toil; travail (work hard)
serve (do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function)
bank (be in the banking business)
fill; take (assume, as of positions or roles)
drive (work as a driver)
tinker (work as a tinker or tinkerer)
serve (do military service)
blackleg; fink; rat; scab (take the place of work of someone on strike)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Meaning:
Have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
work; act
Context examples:
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
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
bring home the bacon; come through; deliver the goods; succeed; win (attain success or reach a desired goal)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Meaning:
Perform as expected when applied
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Synonyms:
function; operate; work; run; go
Context examples:
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
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
serve; service (be used by; as of a utility)
cut (function as a cutting instrument)
run (be operating, running or functioning)
roll (begin operating or running)
double (do double duty; serve two purposes or have two functions)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s
Sentence example:
These cars won't work
Meaning:
Shape, form, or improve a material
Classified under:
Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing
Synonyms:
work on; work; process
Context examples:
work stone into tools / process iron / work the metal
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
transform; transmute; transubstantiate (change or alter in form, appearance, or nature)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
till (work land as by ploughing, harrowing, and manuring, in order to make it ready for cultivation)
tool (work with a tool)
rack (work on a rack)
make over; retread; rework (use again in altered form)
overwork (use too much)
cold work; coldwork (shape (metal) without heat)
hot-work (roll, press, forge, or shape (metal) while hot)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Give a workout to
Classified under:
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care
Synonyms:
exercise; work; work out
Context examples:
Some parents exercise their infants / My personal trainer works me hard / work one's muscles
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
put to work; work (cause to work)
Cause:
exercise; work out (do physical exercise)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
warm up (cause to do preliminary exercises so as to stretch the muscles)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Sentence example:
They work the animals
Meaning:
Proceed along a path
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Synonyms:
work; make
Context examples:
work one's way through the crowd / make one's way into the forest
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
go across; go through; pass (go across or through)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
claw (move as if by clawing, seizing, or digging)
jostle (make one's way by jostling, pushing, or shoving)
bushwhack (cut one's way through the woods or bush)
Sentence frames:
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP
Sentence example:
They work up the hill
Meaning:
Operate in a certain place, area, or specialty
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Context examples:
She works the night clubs / The salesman works the Midwest / This artist works mostly in acrylics
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
work (exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP
Sentence example:
They work in the city
Meaning:
Proceed towards a goal or along a path or through an activity
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Context examples:
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
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
go; move; proceed (follow a procedure or take a course)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s PP
Meaning:
Move in an agitated manner
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Context example:
His fingers worked with tension
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
displace; move (cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Cause to happen or to occur as a consequence
Classified under:
Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing
Synonyms:
make for; wreak; bring; work; play
Context examples:
I cannot work a miracle / wreak havoc / bring comments / play a joke / The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
create; make (make or cause to be or to become)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Cause to work
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
put to work; work
Context example:
he is working his servants hard
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
apply; employ; use; utilise; utilize (put into service; make work or employ (something) for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose)
Cause:
do work; work (be employed)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
exploit; overwork (work excessively hard)
rack (put on a rack and pinion)
computerise; computerize; cybernate (control a function, process, or creation by a computer)
warm up (cause to do preliminary exercises so as to stretch the muscles)
exercise; work; work out (give a workout to)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Sentence example:
They work the animals
Meaning:
Prepare for crops
Classified under:
Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing
Synonyms:
crop; cultivate; work
Context examples:
Work the soil / cultivate the land
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
fix; gear up; prepare; ready; set; set up (make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc)
Domain category:
agriculture; farming; husbandry (the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
overcrop; overcultivate (to exhaust by excessive cultivation)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Behave in a certain way when handled
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Context examples:
This dough does not work easily / The soft metal works well
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))
Sentence frame:
Something ----s Adjective/Noun
Meaning:
Have and exert influence or effect
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
act upon; influence; work
Context examples:
The artist's work influenced the young painter / She worked on her friends to support the political candidate
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
affect; bear on; bear upon; impact; touch; touch on (have an effect upon)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
get at (influence by corruption)
carry; persuade; sway (win approval or support for)
blackjack; blackmail; pressure (exert pressure on someone through threats)
swing; swing over (influence decisively)
color; colour (modify or bias)
manipulate; pull strings; pull wires (influence or control shrewdly or deviously)
militate (have force or influence; bring about an effect or change)
form; imprint (establish or impress firmly in the mind)
prejudice; prepossess (influence (somebody's) opinion in advance)
dominate (be in control)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP
Meaning:
Operate in or through
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Context example:
Work the phones
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
operate; run (direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Cause to operate or function
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Context examples:
This pilot works the controls / Can you work an electric drill?
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
care; deal; handle; manage (be in charge of, act on, or dispose of)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Provoke or excite
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Context example:
The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
excite; stimulate; stir (stir feelings in)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Meaning:
Gratify and charm, usually in order to influence
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Context example:
the political candidate worked the crowds
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
becharm; beguile; bewitch; captivate; capture; catch; charm; enamor; enamour; enchant; entrance; fascinate; trance (attract; cause to be enamored)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Meaning:
Make something, usually for a specific function
Classified under:
Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing
Synonyms:
shape; mould; mold; form; forge; work
Context examples:
She molded the rice balls carefully / Form cylinders from the dough / shape a figure / Work the metal into a sword
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
create from raw material; create from raw stuff (make from scratch)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
mound (form into a rounded elevation)
hill (form into a hill)
roughcast (shape roughly)
remold; reshape (shape again or shape differently)
sinter (cause (ores or powdery metals) to become a coherent mass by heating without melting)
cast; mold; mould (form by pouring (e.g., wax or hot metal) into a cast or mold)
throw (make on a potter's wheel)
coil; hand-build; handbuild (make without a potter's wheel)
sculpt; sculpture (create by shaping stone or wood or any other hard material)
model; mold; mould (form in clay, wax, etc)
preform (form into a shape resembling the final, desired one)
preform (form or shape beforehand or determine the shape of beforehand)
carve (form by carving)
swage; upset (form metals with a swage)
chip (form by chipping)
layer (make or form a layer)
cut out (form and create by cutting out)
machine (turn, shape, mold, or otherwise finish by machinery)
grind (shape or form by grinding)
stamp (form or cut out with a mold, form, or die)
puddle (subject to puddling or form by puddling)
beat (shape by beating)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP
Meaning:
Move into or onto
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Context examples:
work the raisins into the dough / the student worked a few jokes into his presentation / work the body onto the flatbed truck
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
displace; move (cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
stir (mix or add by stirring)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP
Meaning:
Make uniform
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Synonyms:
knead; work
Context examples:
knead dough / work the clay until it is soft
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
manipulate (hold something in one's hands and move it)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
proof (knead to reach proper lightness)
masticate (grind and knead)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Use or manipulate to one's advantage
Classified under:
Verbs of eating and drinking
Synonyms:
exploit; work
Context examples:
He exploit the new taxation system / She knows how to work the system / he works his parents for sympathy
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
apply; employ; use; utilise; utilize (put into service; make work or employ (something) for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
use (seek or achieve an end by using to one's advantage)
feed; prey (profit from in an exploitatory manner)
avail; help (take or use)
play (use to one's advantage)
make hay (turn to one's advantage)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Meaning:
Find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
Classified under:
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting
Synonyms:
figure out; puzzle out; solve; lick; work out; work
Context examples:
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
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
understand (know and comprehend the nature or meaning of)
"Work" entails doing...:
reason (think logically)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
answer; resolve (understand the meaning of)
riddle (explain a riddle)
strike (arrive at after reckoning, deliberating, and weighing)
guess; infer (guess correctly; solve by guessing)
answer (give the correct answer or solution to)
break (find the solution or key to)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Cause to undergo fermentation
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
ferment; work
Context examples:
We ferment the grapes for a very long time to achieve high alcohol content / The vintner worked the wine in big oak vats
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
convert (change the nature, purpose, or function of something)
Cause:
ferment; sour; turn; work (go sour or spoil)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work"):
vinify (convert a juice into wine by fermentation)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Go sour or spoil
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
sour; ferment; turn; work
Context examples:
The milk has soured / The wine worked / The cream has turned--we have to throw it out
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
change state; turn (undergo a transformation or a change of position or action)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s
Meaning:
Arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Context example:
The stitches of the hem worked loose after she wore the skirt many times
Hypernyms (to "work" is one way to...):
become; get; go (enter or assume a certain state or condition)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s Adjective/Noun
