Definition of callingnext

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
10
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
Those tiers include unlimited international calling to select countries (RingEX charges extra for this) and similar AI features (though AI Receptionist and Interaction Insights features are listed as coming soon). John Brandon, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026 Coachella, Australia, Hawaii, Japan, Idaho, now London’s calling! Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
Those are police officers and people up high at CPD, literally calling me, meeting with us, telling us that morale’s at an all-time low. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, opposed the measure, calling it unconstitutional. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for calling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calling
Noun
  • In the wake of the attacks, Strahan was one of the players who pushed for the cancellation of that weekend's football games out of respect for those lost.
    Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But there’s also an active noise cancellation system that uses the new, very thin membrane speakers that JLR developed together with Warwick Audio that are mounted in the seat headrests.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Hogan, who spends the off-season as a graduate student in fiction writing at the University of Houston, seemed to view smokejumping not only as a profession but as a world view.
    M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Looking at passing citizens reveals flavor text about their professions and backgrounds.
    Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Or perhaps, in this case, at roughly 190 mph with the throttle buried and someone shouting into a radio.
    Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Video showed locals draped in Spanish flags, shouting anti-migrant slogans, and singing Spanish songs, torching the camp and throwing migrants’ belongings in the Mediterranean or into bonfires.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The show is leaning into its strengths, dialing up the madcap comedy and overlapping dialogue while keeping the story lines rooted in recognizable rites of passage for young people.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Herkov experienced Florida’s first national championship with Wuerffel throwing touchdowns and Spurrier dialing up plays.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Todd, who produces the film, recalls the emotions of visiting the set for the first time, during a scene that struck a personal chord with her experience with her son.
    Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There are also the vendors, games, rides, and exhibitors that must juggle visiting other state fairs into their schedules.
    Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • No, fans weren’t punishing USC for canceling the Notre Dame series.
    Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Between 2019 and 2021, for example, the president proposed canceling Roman (then called WFIRST) three separate times in three different budget requests.
    Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That is meaningful for schools, considering that around 90% of the United States' 480,000 school buses run on diesel.
    Willa Rubin, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Manish Tibrewal, co-founder of family office Farro Capital, said his firm has seen a sharp pickup in inquiries from Chinese families considering to relocate to Singapore.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In the distance, a toddler in a matching Nike outfit literally leaped into the arms of a crying woman, perhaps a grandmother, squeezing tightly for a hug.
    Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Unintentional noise could be heard, even a baby crying, Dolly said.
    Martha Ackmann, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Calling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calling. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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