noun
adj
verb
adv

Textual thesaurus for "work"

(noun) employment

the occupation for which you are paid

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


(noun) oeuvre, body of work

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


(noun) piece of work

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


(noun) workplace

a place where work is done

he arrived at work early today


(noun) study

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


(verb) exercise, work out

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


(verb) ferment, sour, turn

go sour or spoil

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


(verb) ferment

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


(verb) puzzle out, figure out, lick, work out, solve

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


(verb) exploit

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


(verb) knead

make uniform

knead dough; work the clay until it is soft


(verb) operate, run, go, function

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


(verb) wreak, make for, play, bring

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


(verb) forge, form, mold, mould, shape

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


(verb) process, work on

shape, form, or improve a material

work stone into tools; process iron; work the metal


(verb) cultivate, crop

prepare for crops

Work the soil; cultivate the land


(verb) make

proceed along a path

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


(verb) put to work

cause to work

he is working his servants hard


(verb) do work

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


(verb) act

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


(verb) act upon, influence

have and exert influence or effect

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