to work
Pronunciation
/wɝːk/
British pronunciation
/wɜːk/

Definition & Meaning of "work"in English

to work
01

to do certain physical or mental activities in order to achieve a result or as a part of our job

Intransitive
to work definition and meaning
example
Examples
He's been working on his presentation for hours.
1.1

to use or manage a particular thing in order to achieve something from it

Transitive: to work sth
example
Examples
He worked his connections to secure a job offer.
1.2

to cause oneself or someone else to work, particularly extremely hard

Transitive: to work sb
example
Examples
He worked himself to exhaustion trying to finish the project.
02

to do a job or task, usually for a company or organization, in order to receive money

Transitive: to work for sb/sth | to work in sth | to work with sb/sth
Linking Verb: to work as sb
to work definition and meaning
example
Examples
Both of my siblings work full-time jobs.
03

to operate or function properly

Intransitive
to work definition and meaning
example
Examples
The elevator is not working, we have to take the stairs.
3.1

to cause a device, machine, etc. to be in operation

Transitive: to work sth
example
Examples
Do you know how to work the sewing machine?
04

to change the form or shape of a material into a certain form or shape by hitting, stretching, squeezing, etc.

Transitive: to work sth
to work definition and meaning
example
Examples
He is working the dough to make bread.
4.1

to use a particular material to produce or craft a form of art

Transitive: to work with sth | to work in sth
example
Examples
A jewelry maker working with gold to create a necklace.
05

to have the result that is desired

Intransitive
example
Examples
His solution worked, and they resolved the problem.
5.1

to make efforts in order to gain something

to work definition and meaning
example
Examples
She is working to improve her language skills.
5.2

to have a specific impact

Linking Verb: to work in a specific manner
example
Examples
Having a good sense of humor should work in your favor.
06

to move or pass from a particular position to another gradually or with difficulty

Complex Transitive: to work sth through sth
example
Examples
I had to work my way through the crowd to get to the stage.
6.1

(of a part of face or body) to move violently

Intransitive
example
Examples
He saw the ghostly figure appear before him, his mouth working as he tried to scream but no sound came out.
07

to cause oneself or someone else to be in a particular emotional state

Complex Transitive: to work sb into sth
example
Examples
He worked himself into a rage when he found out about the betrayal.
7.1

to use one's persuasiveness to manipulate or influence someone's emotions or behavior

Transitive: to work sb/sth
example
Examples
The movie director worked the actors to evoke the desired emotions in the scene.
Work
01

activity that requires physical or mental effort

Wiki
work definition and meaning
example
Examples
He enjoys the creative work of writing poetry in his spare time.
02

something that we do regularly to earn money

work definition and meaning
example
Examples
During the summer break, she took up work as a tour guide.
03

a painting, piece of music or book that is produced by a painter, musician, or writer

Wiki
work definition and meaning
example
Examples
Each work in the artist's collection tells a unique story.
04

a place where work is done

05

applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading)

06

(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

07

tasks, documents, or projects that a person is currently engaged in or working on

example
Examples
I have a lot of work to finish before the deadline.
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