Synonyms of work

work 1 of 4

verb (1)

1

as in to cause

to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

this new drug can really work wonders

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cause
• create
• bring
• do
• generate
• prompt
• produce
• spawn
• effect
• make
• yield
• induce
• invoke
• draw on
• bring about
• effectuate
• translate (into)
• result (in)
• found
• give rise to
• catalyze
• encourage
• breed
• promote
• occasion
• bring forth
• contribute (to)
• introduce
• beget
• bring on
• engender
• begin
• pioneer
• start
• develop
• decide
• determine
• establish
• initiate
• launch
• set up
• institute
• inaugurate
• forward
• further
• cultivate
• foster
• set
• innovate
• render
• advance
• conduce (to)
• enact
• turn out
• father
• nurture
• nourish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• limit
• restrict
• impede
• check
• control
• put down
• suppress
• subdue
• stifle
• crush
• repress
• dampen
• quash
• restrain
• smother
• curb
• arrest
• can
• quell
• inhibit
• retard
• kill
• still
• rein (in)
• crack down (on)
• destroy
• squelch
• squash
• clamp down (on)
• abolish
• liquidate
• extinguish
• demolish
• quench
• snuff (out)

2

as in to solve

to find an answer for through reasoning

finally figured out how to work the math problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

• solve
• unravel
• answer
• resolve
• work out
• figure out
• crack
• decide
• decipher
• break
• conclude
• puzzle (out)
• gather
• dope (out)
• guess
• reason
• judge
• deduce
• unriddle
• riddle (out)
• infer
• assume
• straighten (out)
• presume
• divine
• speculate
• clear (up)
• iron out
• conjecture
• untie
• decode
• unscramble
• untangle

3

as in to serve

to have a certain purpose

the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

• serve
• act
• function
• perform
• operate
• run
• manage
• control
• handle
• guide
• regulate
• carry on
• direct
• supervise
• administer
• oversee

4

as in to perform

to produce a desired effect

this headache remedy takes half an hour to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

• perform
• operate
• take
• act
• react
• take effect
• respond
• result
• take hold
• affect
• behave
• influence
• sway
• pan out
• redound

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• backfire
• fizzle

5

as in to drive

to set or keep in motion

this pump is worked by hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drive
• move
• activate
• propel
• actuate
• stimulate
• impel
• motivate
• trigger
• raise
• set off
• provoke
• stir (up)
• trip
• incite
• ferment
• whip (up)
• inspire
• foment
• abet
• fire (up)
• galvanize
• rouse
• excite
• instigate
• arouse
• inflame
• enflame

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• check
• control
• regulate
• contain
• restrain
• curb
• inhibit
• constrain
• rein (in)
• bridle

6

as in to operate

to control the mechanical operation of

show me how to work the machine

Synonyms & Similar Words

• operate
• use
• handle
• run
• drive
• manipulate
• control
• wield
• guide
• steer
• maneuver
• direct
• pilot
• ply
• command

7

as in to struggle

to devote serious and sustained effort

the organization has worked for years to raise people's awareness of human rights issues

Synonyms & Similar Words

• struggle
• labor
• strive
• endeavor
• try
• toil
• slave
• plow
• sweat
• hustle
• tug
• dig (away)
• plug
• bang away
• travail
• strain
• drudge
• apply (oneself)
• grub
• hump
• plod
• beaver (away)
• peg (away)
• slog
• sweat blood
• exercise
• essay
• buckle (down)
• attack
• moil
• exert
• drive
• fag
• pitch in
• scratch
• eke out
• dig in
• grind (out)
• overwork
• hammer (away)
• knuckle down
• wade
• put out
• trudge
• overexert
• scrabble

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• break
• ease (up)
• let up
• slacken
• rest
• lounge
• hang (around or out)
• bum
• idle
• shirk
• relax
• chill
• goof (off)
• play
• slack (off)
• unwind
• hack (around)
• loaf
• laze
• repose
• hang
• bask
• veg out
• dabble
• loll
• fool around
• dillydally
• footle
• goldbrick
• dally
• hang about
• trifle
• goof (around)
• doodle
• mess around
• monkey (around)
• putter (around)
• potter (around)
• fribble

8

as in to use

to take unfair advantage of

a young boy who worked his aunt for all she was worth in toys and candy when she visited once a year

Synonyms & Similar Words

• use
• exploit
• leverage
• impose (on or upon)
• play (on or upon)
• abuse
• manipulate
• walk on
• pimp
• trade on
• milk
• capitalize (on)
• cash in (on)
• cheat
• mistreat
• jerk around
• skin
• commercialize
• stick
• overcharge
• fleece
• bleed
• soak
• commodify

work

2 of 4

noun (1)

1

as in composition

a literary, musical, or artistic production

unfortunately, many of her works are now out of print

Synonyms & Similar Words

• composition
• piece
• masterpiece
• opus
• sketch
• number
• magnum opus
• model
• showpiece
• outline
• classic
• oeuvre
• pièce de résistance
• corpus
• étude
• canon

2

as in production

something produced by physical or intellectual effort

the new Web application is the work of a pair of young but highly gifted programmers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• production
• product
• yield
• output
• produce
• labor
• result
• handiwork
• fruit
• thing
• outcome
• affair
• resultant
• object
• article
• entry
• development
• effect
• goods
• commodity
• merchandise
• wares
• issue
• handicraft
• conclusion
• sequence
• line
• consequence
• offspring
• upshot
• sequel
• aftermath
• derivative
• handcraft
• side effect
• corollary
• outgrowth
• residual
• offshoot
• by-product
• side reaction
• spin-off
• aftereffect

3

as in job

the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists

the work of a movie director is to tell a story through a series of striking images

Synonyms & Similar Words

• job
• task
• purpose
• role
• function
• part
• place
• position
• capacity
• business
• mission
• participation
• office
• rôle
• concern
• involvement
• duty
• use
• situation
• vocation
• activity
• post
• occupation
• service
• hand
• responsibility
• assignment
• employ
• commission
• calling
• pursuit
• affair
• niche
• charge

4

as in effort

the active use of energy in producing a result

put a lot of work into the project

Synonyms & Similar Words

• effort
• pains
• sweat
• labor
• exertion
• energy
• expenditure
• trouble
• while
• try
• toil
• elbow grease
• power
• drudgery
• attempt
• endeavor
• strain
• might
• muscle
• go
• grind
• essay
• slog
• travail
• dint
• pass
• force
• trial
• stab
• shot
• whack
• fling
• puissance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• facility
• ease
• fluency
• smoothness
• inertia
• laziness
• inaction
• idleness
• adroitness
• inactivity
• indolence
• dormancy
• quiescence
• languor

5

as in profession

the activity by which one regularly makes a living

what line of work are you in?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• profession
• vocation
• occupation
• employment
• line
• job
• calling
• trade
• game
• duty
• lay
• task
• mission
• business
• living
• livelihood
• place
• assignment
• art
• position
• call
• office
• enterprise
• field
• engagement
• function
• lifework
• situation
• post
• craft
• gig
• load
• racket
• metier
• appointment
• workload
• métier
• handicraft
• handcraft
• billet
• berth

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pursuit
• hobby
• avocation

6

as in factory

works plural a building or set of buildings for the manufacturing of goods

a glass works where high quality glassware is made

Synonyms & Similar Words

• factory
• workshop
• shop
• plant
• mill
• manufactory
• studio
• workplace
• sweatshop
• atelier
• workroom
• yard

works

3 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of work

1

as in causes

to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

this new drug can really work wonders

Synonyms & Similar Words

• causes
• creates
• brings
• does
• generates
• prompts
• produces
• spawns
• yields
• invokes
• makes
• effects
• induces
• draws on
• brings about
• occasions
• translates (into)
• catalyzes
• brings on
• gives rise to
• brings forth
• begets
• results (in)
• engenders
• breeds
• effectuates
• encourages
• promotes
• introduces
• contributes (to)
• founds
• develops
• determines
• begins
• initiates
• launches
• establishes
• decides
• institutes
• starts
• fathers
• inaugurates
• sets up
• renders
• conduces (to)
• fosters
• cultivates
• enacts
• furthers
• turns out
• sets
• innovates
• nourishes
• advances
• pioneers
• nurtures
• forwards

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• limits
• restricts
• impedes
• controls
• suppresses
• checks
• inhibits
• represses
• reins (in)
• squashes
• crushes
• puts down
• arrests
• subdues
• dampens
• curbs
• smothers
• stifles
• restrains
• retards
• kills
• destroys
• cans
• stills
• quells
• squelches
• cracks down (on)
• clamps down (on)
• abolishes
• quashes
• extinguishes
• liquidates
• demolishes
• quenches
• snuffs (out)

2

as in solves

to find an answer for through reasoning

finally figured out how to work the math problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

• solves
• unravels
• answers
• resolves
• works out
• figures out
• riddles (out)
• puzzles (out)
• cracks
• concludes
• deciphers
• decides
• breaks
• unriddles
• gathers
• judges
• reasons
• infers
• deduces
• dopes (out)
• assumes
• presumes
• speculates
• straightens (out)
• guesses
• clears (up)
• unties
• irons out
• divines
• conjectures
• unscrambles
• decodes
• untangles

3

as in serves

to have a certain purpose

the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

• serves
• acts
• functions
• performs
• operates
• runs
• guides
• manages
• controls
• handles
• regulates
• directs
• administers
• supervises
• oversees
• carries on

4

as in operates

to produce a desired effect

this headache remedy takes half an hour to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

• operates
• performs
• takes
• acts
• reacts
• responds
• results
• takes effect
• behaves
• affects
• takes hold
• influences
• sways
• redounds
• pans out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• backfires
• fizzles

5

as in moves

to set or keep in motion

this pump is worked by hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

• moves
• drives
• activates
• propels
• actuates
• stimulates
• impels
• triggers
• motivates
• provokes
• raises
• sets off
• ferments
• trips
• incites
• inspires
• stirs (up)
• whips (up)
• abets
• excites
• foments
• arouses
• fires (up)
• instigates
• rouses
• inflames
• galvanizes
• enflames

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• contains
• controls
• regulates
• checks
• inhibits
• reins (in)
• constrains
• curbs
• restrains
• bridles

6

as in uses

to control the mechanical operation of

show me how to work the machine

Synonyms & Similar Words

• operates
• uses
• handles
• runs
• drives
• manipulates
• maneuvers
• controls
• wields
• guides
• directs
• steers
• pilots
• plies
• commands

7

as in struggles

to devote serious and sustained effort

the organization has worked for years to raise people's awareness of human rights issues

Synonyms & Similar Words

• struggles
• strives
• labors
• endeavors
• tries
• tugs
• slaves
• plows
• toils
• hustles
• digs (away)
• sweats
• pegs (away)
• plugs
• humps
• travails
• bangs away
• plods
• grubs
• sweats blood
• fags
• strains
• slogs
• drudges
• moils
• applies (oneself)
• exercises
• beavers (away)
• buckles (down)
• drives
• attacks
• exerts
• knuckles down
• hammers (away)
• pitches in
• essays
• digs in
• grinds (out)
• ekes out
• overworks
• scratches
• overexerts
• wades
• puts out
• trudges
• scrabbles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breaks
• slackens
• eases (up)
• lets up
• hangs (around or out)
• rests
• slacks (off)
• idles
• plays
• shirks
• goofs (off)
• goldbricks
• loafs
• bums
• lounges
• lazes
• dallies
• chills
• reposes
• dillydallies
• hacks (around)
• hangs
• relaxes
• unwinds
• basks
• lolls
• dabbles
• footles
• fribbles
• fools around
• veges out
• vegges out
• hangs about
• messes around
• doodles
• goofs (around)
• trifles
• putters (around)
• potters (around)
• monkeys (around)

8

as in exploits

to take unfair advantage of

a young boy who worked his aunt for all she was worth in toys and candy when she visited once a year

Synonyms & Similar Words

• uses
• exploits
• leverages
• abuses
• plays (on or upon)
• manipulates
• imposes (on or upon)
• walks on
• capitalizes (on)
• milks
• trades on
• cashes in (on)
• pimps
• mistreats
• cheats
• commodifies
• jerks around
• sticks
• overcharges
• commercializes
• soaks
• bleeds
• skins
• fleeces

works

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural of work

as in mill

a building or set of buildings for the manufacturing of goods

a glass works where high quality glassware is made

Synonyms & Similar Words

• factory
• mill
• plant
• shop
• workshop
• manufactory
• studio
• workplace
• sweatshop
• atelier
• workroom
• yard

Phrases Containing work

• out of work
• piece of work
• work (for)
• work in
• work out
• work over
• work up