calling 1 of 2

calling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of call
1
2
as in dialing
to make a telephone call to use this cell phone to call me if there's an emergency

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
5
6
as in crying
to utter one's distinctive animal sound the dog called whenever it flushed a quail

Synonyms & Similar Words

7
8
as in estimating
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement let's call that five feet for now, and we'll measure it out later

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

9
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11
as in ordering
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority the union president is refusing to call a strike

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

12

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun calling differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of calling are business, employment, métier, occupation, pursuit, and work. While all these words mean "a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living," calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession.

the ministry seemed my true calling

Where would business be a reasonable alternative to calling?

While in some cases nearly identical to calling, business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs.

the business of managing a hotel

In what contexts can employment take the place of calling?

The words employment and calling can be used in similar contexts, but employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.

your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

When might métier be a better fit than calling?

The synonyms métier and calling are sometimes interchangeable, but métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted.

acting was my one and only métier

When can occupation be used instead of calling?

The meanings of occupation and calling largely overlap; however, occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training.

his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

When is it sensible to use pursuit instead of calling?

Although the words pursuit and calling have much in common, pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest.

her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

When would work be a good substitute for calling?

While the synonyms work and calling are close in meaning, work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not.

her work as a hospital volunteer

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of calling
Noun
My art is my calling, my purpose, my ministry, my resistance, my activism, my hope, my joy, my love. Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025 Yet, thanks to conservative play-calling and some poor clock management, the Jayhawks managed to take just 28 seconds off the clock. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
According to Google, the satellite data will also support voice calling through WhatsApp. PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025 The National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE), which includes the USMX and the West Coast’s Pacific Maritime Association as its members, is calling on Congress to include the bipartisan Strengthening American Maritime Dominance Act within next year’s national defense budget. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for calling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calling
Noun
  • And does Ainara go through with her vocation?
    John Hopewell, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The Italian photographer Gianni Berengo Gardin, who died in August at age ninety-four, announced his vocation to the world by pissing on his lens.
    Max Norman, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Kuching, the capital of Sarawak on the island of Borneo, isn't shouting about its commitment to sustainability.
    Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Then, Suarez moved to another part of the field, where he is seen shouting, stepping on the foot of Sounders head of security Gene Ramirez and spitting on him.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Steichen was dialing it up Sunday, finding creative ways to get the ball to his rookie first-round tight end, Tyler Warren, and getting Michael Pittman wide open for Indy’s first touchdown.
    Mike Sando, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Only one of the three QBs Coach Prime tested seems truly comfortable dialing up whatever offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is running.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Pace put different people through the paces of different things on different equipment and surfaces, ranging from some beginner movements to some rather acrobatic moves by a woman visiting from South Korea that looked a lot like gymnastics.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Along with visiting Machu Picchu, families can go horseback riding, mountain biking, paragliding, and more.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Now, the Heat are considering a reunion with a free agent former big man, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
    Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The city of Fort Worth is considering changing land use rules for a handful of parcels to allow buildings up to 15 stories.
    Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The 8-year-old ia unable to sleep without crying throughout the night and uncontrollably in his sleep, his mother wrote.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Sep. 2025
  • This wakes my kids who start crying.
    Esther K. Choy, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • To assert his view in a personal and visible way, in early 1951 Truman took the unprecedented step of summoning to the White House the entire Federal Reserve Open Market Committee.
    Robert Hormats, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
  • After the dance, Bianca takes the mic, summoning Morticia and Dort to the stage.
    Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Every company should have a contingency plan estimating the cost and operational impact of remedies like unbundling services or forced data sharing.
    Kevan Yalowitz, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The center's aurora dashboard has an animation estimating what aurora visibility will be like for the next 30 minutes.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Calling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calling. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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