Synonyms for work
wɜrkwork

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. work

   Work is the generic term for any continuous application of energy toward an end; work may be hard or easy. Labor is hard and wearying work; toil is straining and exhausting work. Work is also used for any result of working, physical or mental, and has special senses, as in mechanics, which labor and toil do not share. Drudgery is plodding, irksome, and often menial work. Compare ACT; BUSINESS.

   Synonyms:
   achievement, action, business, deed, doing, drudgery, employment, exertion, labor, occupation, performance, product, production, toil

   Antonyms:
   ease, idleness, leisure, recreation, relaxation, repose, rest, vacation

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. work

   Synonyms:
   exertion, effort, toil, labor, employment, performance, production, product, effect, result, composition, achievement, operation, is sue, fruit

   Antonyms:
   effortlessness, inertia, rest, inoperativeness, non-employment, nonperformance, non-production, abortion, miscarriage, frustration, neutralization, fruitlessness

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:2.0 / 4 votes

1. worknoun

   activity directed toward making or doing something

   "she checked several points needing further work"

   Synonyms:
   piece of work, workplace, body of work, employment, oeuvre, study

   Antonyms:
   stagnate, slug, idle, laze

2. work, piece of worknoun

   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, workplace, body of work, employment, oeuvre, study

   Antonyms:
   slug, stagnate, laze, idle

3. employment, worknoun

   the occupation for which you are paid

   "he is looking for employment"; "a lot of people are out of work"

   Synonyms:
   employ, use, utilisation, workplace, exercise, study, employment, usage, oeuvre, body of work, piece of work, utilization, engagement

   Antonyms:
   stagnate, laze, slug, idle

4. study, worknoun

   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:
   piece of work, subject, report, discipline, subject area, oeuvre, study, employment, workplace, sketch, cogitation, written report, survey, body of work, field, field of study, bailiwick, subject field

   Antonyms:
   idle, slug, stagnate, laze

5. worknoun

   (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"

   Synonyms:
   piece of work, workplace, body of work, employment, oeuvre, study

   Antonyms:
   laze, idle, slug, stagnate

6. workplace, worknoun

   a place where work is done

   "he arrived at work early today"

   Synonyms:
   piece of work, workplace, body of work, employment, oeuvre, study

   Antonyms:
   slug, stagnate, idle, laze

7. oeuvre, work, body of workverb

   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:
   piece of work, workplace, body of work, employment, oeuvre, study

   Antonyms:
   slug, idle, stagnate, laze

8. workverb

   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"

   Synonyms:
   knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

   Antonyms:
   stagnate, laze, slug, idle

9. work, do workverb

   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:
   knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

   Antonyms:
   slug, idle, stagnate, laze

10. work, actverb

    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:
    knead, turn, operate, dissemble, act, shape, bring, move, behave, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, roleplay, figure out, form, pretend, mould, sour, playact, do, exploit, go, play, represent, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, act as, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    laze, slug, stagnate, idle

11. function, work, operate, go, runverb

    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:
    lick, function, perish, break away, give way, hold out, hunt, run, endure, lead, give out, unravel, carry, fit, operate, travel, take to the woods, last, die, track down, mold, go away, act, snuff it, go, bunk, run away, solve, act upon, turn tail, head for the hills, run low, do work, plump, fly the coop, prevail, process, execute, mould, wreak, incline, drop dead, put to work, course, tend, scarper, blend in, run short, croak, get going, control, ferment, range, serve, work out, pass away, consort, live, cash in one's chips, kick the bucket, blend, flow, hunt down, knead, scat, bring, break, figure out, escape, form, rifle, locomote, lock, exploit, run for, lean, belong, make, give-up the ghost, go bad, survive, cultivate, manoeuvre, melt down, get, be given, turn, expire, ladder, draw, become, bleed, manoeuver, persist, live on, campaign, forge, move, influence, engage, pop off, sound, fail, conk out, extend, start, depart, operate on, decease, puzzle out, play, hold up, proceed, break down, lam, melt, crop, exit, conk, work on, exercise, buy the farm, ply, hightail it, sour, feed, choke, race, guide, die hard, pass, shape, make for, mesh, officiate, black market, maneuver

    Antonyms:
    idle, slug, laze, stagnate

12. work, work on, processverb

    shape, form, or improve a material

    "work stone into tools"; "process iron"; "work the metal"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, litigate, treat, forge, lick, work at, solve, march, make, swear out, figure out, form, mould, sour, action, exploit, go, play, sue, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, serve, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    stagnate, slug, laze, idle

13. exercise, work, work outverb

    give a workout to

    "Some parents exercise their infants"; "My personal trainer works me hard"; "work one's muscles"; "this puzzle will exercise your mind"

    Synonyms:
    elaborate, knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, exert, run, function, put to work, work up, figure, forge, lick, work out, make, cipher, figure out, form, compute, mould, sour, calculate, do, exploit, go, play, drill, make for, mold, practice, puzzle out, act upon, do work, process, crop, exercise, solve, ferment, influence, work on, cypher, practise, wreak, cultivate, reckon

    Antonyms:
    laze, stagnate, slug, idle

14. make, workverb

    proceed along a path

    "work one's way through the crowd"; "make one's way into the forest"

    Synonyms:
    wee-wee, wreak, take, micturate, bring in, run, construct, draw, operate, have, lay down, solve, piddle, hold, function, mold, piss, act, constitute, do, earn, reach, go, make believe, act upon, get to, shit, defecate, crop, do work, bring, name, pass water, process, mould, stimulate, progress to, create, crap, take a shit, pretend, make water, gain, ready, ferment, establish, knead, realize, play, make up, give, attain, pull in, induce, form, exploit, pee, make, wee, cultivate, ca-ca, get, prepare, figure out, shape, work out, lick, hit, produce, score, turn, build, influence, forge, throw, put to work, arrive at, pee-pee, relieve oneself, spend a penny, puzzle out, take in, puddle, take a crap, clear, cook, work on, exercise, nominate, sour, take a leak, cause, urinate, make for, fix, realise, stool, seduce

    Antonyms:
    stagnate, laze, idle, slug

15. workverb

    operate in a certain place, area, or specialty

    "She works the night clubs"; "The salesman works the Midwest"; "This artist works mostly in acrylics"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    stagnate, laze, idle, slug

16. workverb

    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"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    slug, laze, stagnate, idle

17. workverb

    move in an agitated manner

    "His fingers worked with tension"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    laze, idle, slug, stagnate

18. bring, work, play, wreak, make forverb

    cause to happen or to occur as a consequence

    "I cannot work a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a joke"; "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area"

    Synonyms:
    take on, knead, land, operate, fiddle, bet, process, shape, get, impart, add, work out, run, act as, function, put to work, flirt, trifle, take, forge, meet, lick, spiel, solve, make, roleplay, dally, fetch, act, figure out, form, toy, turn, mould, sour, playact, encounter, exploit, make for, go, bestow, play, represent, do work, mold, bring, recreate, puzzle out, institute, diddle, convey, crop, exercise, bring in, ferment, cultivate, work on, contribute, act upon, influence, wreak, lend, wager

    Antonyms:
    slug, laze, idle, stagnate

19. work, put to workverb

    cause to work

    "he is working his servants hard"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    idle, laze, stagnate, slug

20. cultivate, crop, workverb

    prepare for crops

    "Work the soil"; "cultivate the land"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, sour, act, shape, clip, cultivate, civilise, work out, run, wreak, function, prune, forge, lick, civilize, solve, pasture, trim, browse, figure out, form, naturalise, mould, train, play, naturalize, exploit, go, make, do work, make for, mold, tame, bring, educate, puzzle out, put to work, school, process, crop, ferment, domesticate, work on, graze, act upon, cut back, influence, snip, lop, exercise, dress, range

    Antonyms:
    laze, stagnate, idle, slug

21. workverb

    behave in a certain way when handled

    "This dough does not work easily"; "The soft metal works well"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    laze, idle, slug, stagnate

22. influence, act upon, workverb

    have and exert influence or effect

    "The artist's work influenced the young painter"; "She worked on her friends to support the political candidate"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, regulate, determine, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, make for, go, play, do work, mold, tempt, charm, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate, puzzle out

    Antonyms:
    slug, laze, idle, stagnate

23. workverb

    operate in or through

    "Work the phones"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    idle, slug, laze, stagnate

24. workverb

    cause to operate or function

    "This pilot works the controls"; "Can you work an electric drill?"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    stagnate, idle, laze, slug

25. workverb

    provoke or excite

    "The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    slug, laze, stagnate, idle

26. workverb

    gratify and charm, usually in order to influence

    "the political candidate worked the crowds"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    slug, laze, stagnate, idle

27. shape, form, work, mold, mould, forgeverb

    make something, usually for a specific function

    "She molded the rice balls carefully"; "Form cylinders from the dough"; "shape a figure"; "Work the metal into a sword"

    Synonyms:
    spring, knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, model, excogitate, imprint, work out, run, spurt, function, put to work, organize, forge, lick, take form, solve, make, regulate, determine, figure out, cast, form, fake, mould, sour, invent, play, exploit, make for, spirt, go, take shape, fashion, do work, hammer, mold, organise, mildew, puzzle out, act upon, counterfeit, process, crop, ferment, influence, work on, constitute, formulate, wreak, cultivate, exercise, contrive, devise

    Antonyms:
    stagnate, idle, slug, laze

28. workverb

    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"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    laze, stagnate, idle, slug

29. knead, workverb

    make uniform

    "knead dough"; "work the clay until it is soft"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, massage, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, rub down, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, act upon, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    stagnate, idle, slug, laze

30. exploit, workverb

    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:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, overwork, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, tap, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    idle, laze, slug, stagnate

31. solve, work out, figure out, puzzle out, lick, workverb

    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:
    influence, knead, turn, operate, act, shape, lap up, bat, cream, work out, run, function, put to work, figure, elaborate, lick, forge, clear, make, drub, figure out, form, compute, mould, sour, calculate, solve, exploit, go, play, work up, make for, mold, bring, clobber, thrash, reckon, act upon, do work, process, crop, exercise, resolve, ferment, cultivate, work on, cypher, lap, cipher, wreak, puzzle out

    Antonyms:
    stagnate, idle, slug, laze

32. ferment, workverb

    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:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    laze, slug, idle, stagnate

33. sour, turn, ferment, workverb

    go sour or spoil

    "The milk has soured"; "The wine worked"; "The cream has turned--we have to throw it out"

    Synonyms:
    knead, bend, operate, wrick, process, deform, shape, change state, figure out, move around, twist, work out, release, run, wreak, function, rick, call on, acidify, lick, forge, solve, flex, act, wrench, become, form, plow, acetify, mould, sour, exploit, go, grow, sprain, play, do work, make for, mold, bring, change by reversal, puzzle out, put to work, turn over, reverse, crop, exercise, ferment, cultivate, work on, act upon, turn, influence, acidulate, plough, make

    Antonyms:
    slug, laze, idle, stagnate

34. workverb

    arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion

    "The stitches of the hem worked loose after she wore the skirt many times"

    Synonyms:
    knead, turn, operate, act, shape, bring, work out, run, function, put to work, forge, lick, solve, make, figure out, form, mould, sour, exploit, go, play, do work, make for, mold, puzzle out, act upon, process, crop, exercise, ferment, influence, work on, wreak, cultivate

    Antonyms:
    idle, stagnate, slug, laze

Matched Categories

1. • Activity
   • Be
   • Become
   • Change State
   • Convert
   • Create From Raw Material
   • Enchant
   • Energy
   • Excite
   • Farming
   • Geographic Point
   • Learning
   • Manage
   • Manipulate
   • Move
   • Operate
   • Pass
   • Physics
   • Prepare
   • Proceed
   • Use
   • Work

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. labor specialization

   i have labor specialization all next week.

   Submitted by rinat on August 14, 2019  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. workverb

   Synonyms:
   act, operate, be in action

2. workverb

   Synonyms:
   labor, toil, moil, drudge, strive, exert one's self, be diligent, be at work

3. workverb

   Synonyms:
   move, perform, succeed, get on

4. workverb

   Synonyms:
   ferment, effervesce

5. workverb

   Synonyms:
   heave, be tossed, be agitated

6. workverb

   Synonyms:
   labor upon, operate upon

7. workverb

   Synonyms:
   produce, originate, accomplish, effect, bring about

8. workverb

   Synonyms:
   keep at work

9. workverb

   Synonyms:
   exert, strain

10. workverb

    Synonyms:
    embroider

11. worknoun

    Synonyms:
    toil, labor (that fatigues), drudgery

12. worknoun

    Synonyms:
    occupation, exertion, employment, business

13. worknoun

    Synonyms:
    product (of labour), performance, production, fruit, achievement, deed, action, feat

14. worknoun

    Synonyms:
    fabric, structure, manufacture

15. worknoun

    Synonyms:
    composition, book, literary production

16. worknoun

    Synonyms:
    management, treatment

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. worknoun

   Synonyms:
   industry, toil, labor, employment, occupation, effort, exertion, striving, drudgery, diligence, assiduity, business, duty, job, task, magnum opus

   Antonyms:
   idleness, dalliance, trifling, sloth, sluggardy, truancy, dabbling, dilettanteism, relaxation, leisure, vacation

2. workverb

   Synonyms:
   toil, labor, strive, drudge, slave, operate, manipulate, perform, ferment, effervesce

   Antonyms:
   shirk, idle, dabble, loaf, soldier

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "work":

   working, job, labour, works, labor, employment, task, action, travail, activities, travaux, jobs, operate, efforts, activity, workplace, collaborate, tasks, effort, function, cooperate, business, arbeit, functioning, lavoro, force, walk, trabajo, occupational, worked, trabalho, operation, duties, discussion, exercise, professional, travailler, collaboration

Suggested Resources

1. work

   The work symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the work symbol and its characteristic.

2. WORK

   What does WORK stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the WORK acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

How to pronounce work?

How to say work in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use work in a sentence?

1. Kahlil Gibran:

   Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.

2. Rand Paul:

   Now there are people who cannot work. But frankly, if your back hurts, you can work in a call center, all right? There's a lot of different jobs, there are people who are paralyzed, quadriplegic, kidney dialysis, amputees who can't work. I understand that. There's going to be some people. But almost everybody who can work should work.

3. Elbert Hubbard:

   If you work for a man, in heavens name work for him! If he pays you wages that supply you your bread and butter, work for him speak well of him, think well of him, stand by him and stand by the institution he represents. I think if I worked for a man I would work for him. I would not work for him a part of the time, and the rest of the time work against him. I would give an undivided service or none. If put to the pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.

4. Yvonne Craig:

   It was a wonderful experience, the crew liked one another, the cast liked one another. It doesn't happen often, and when it does, it's a joy to go to work every day. I got to work with people that I would never have the chance to work with. We had Ethel Merman, I would never have met Milton Berle, I got to work with Milton Berle, and Milton Berle was a delight.

5. Matt Lucas:

   So, we are saying don't go to work, go to work, don't take public transport, go to work, don't go to work, stay indoors, if you can work from home go to work, don't go to work.