Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

work

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of work

1 a literary, musical, or artistic production
  • Unfortunately, many of her works are now out of print.
Synonyms of work

composition, number, opus, piece
Words Related to work

classic, magnum opus, masterpiece, pièce de résistance, showpiece

model, outline, sketch
2 something produced by physical or intellectual effort
  • The new app is the work of a pair of young but highly gifted programmers.
Synonyms of work

affair, fruit, handiwork, labor, output, produce, product, production, thing, yield
Words Related to work

article, commodity, entry, object

goods, line, merchandise, wares

handcraft, handicraft

aftereffect, aftermath, conclusion, consequence, corollary, development, effect, issue, outcome, result, resultant, sequel, sequence, upshot

by-product, derivative, offshoot, offspring, outgrowth, residual, side effect (also side reaction), spin-off
3 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 of work

business, capacity, function, job, part, place, position, purpose, role (also rôle), task
Words Related to work

affair, concern, hand, involvement, participation

niche, office, post, situation

calling, occupation, pursuit, vocation

activity, assignment, charge, commission, duty, employ, mission, responsibility, service, use
4 the active use of energy in producing a result
  • put a lot of work into the project
Synonyms of work

effort, elbow grease, exertion, expenditure, labor, pains, sweat, trouble, while
Words Related to work

drudgery, grind, slog, strain, toil, travail

dint, energy

force, might, muscle, power, puissance

attempt, endeavor, essay, fling, go, pass, shot, stab, trial, try, whack
Near Antonyms of work

adroitness, ease, facility, fluency, smoothness

dormancy, idleness, inaction, inactivity, indolence, inertia, languor, laziness, quiescence
5 the activity by which one regularly makes a living
  • What line of work are you in?
Synonyms of work

calling, employment, game, line, occupation, profession, trade, vocation
Words Related to work

call, lifework

business, enterprise, field, livelihood, living, métier (also metier), racket [slang]

assignment, engagement, gig, mission

art, craft, handcraft, handicraft

appointment, berth, billet, office, place, position, post, situation

duty, function, job, load, task, workload
Near Antonyms of work

avocation, hobby, pursuit
6 works plural a building or set of buildings for the manufacturing of goods
  • a glass works where high quality glassware is made
Synonyms of work

factory, manufactory, mill, plant, shop, workshop
Words Related to work

sweatshop

atelier, studio, workplace, workroom

yard

Synonym Discussion of work

work, labor, travail, toil, drudgery, grind mean activity involving effort or exertion. work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.
    • too tired to do any work
labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.
    • farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor
travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.
    • years of travail were lost when the house burned
toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.
    • his lot would be years of back-breaking toil
drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.
    • an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery
grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.
    • the grind of the assembly line

work

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of work

1 to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
  • This new drug can really work wonders.
Synonyms of work

beget, breed, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effect, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, invoke, make, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), yield
Words Related to work

conduce (to), contribute (to)

decide, determine

begin, establish, father, found, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, set, set up, start

advance, cultivate, develop, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote

enact, render, turn out
Phrases Synonymous with work

bring forth, give rise to
Near Antonyms of work

impede, limit, restrict

clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, dampen, put down, quash, quell, repress, smother, squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress

arrest, check, control, curb, inhibit, rein (in), restrain, retard

abolish, demolish, destroy, extinguish, liquidate, quench
2 to find an answer for through reasoning
  • finally figured out how to work the math problem
Synonyms of work

answer, break, crack, dope (out), figure out, puzzle (out), resolve, riddle (out), solve, unravel, unriddle, work out
Words Related to work

conclude, decide, deduce, gather, infer, judge, reason

clear (up), iron out, straighten (out), unscramble, untangle, untie

assume, conjecture, divine, guess, presume, speculate

decipher, decode
3 to have a certain purpose
  • The human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood.
Synonyms of work

act, function, perform, serve
Words Related to work

operate, run

administer, carry on, control, direct, guide, handle, manage, oversee, regulate, supervise
4 to produce a desired effect
  • This headache remedy takes half an hour to work.
Synonyms of work

act, operate, perform, take
Words Related to work

behave, react, respond

affect, influence, sway

pan out, redound, result
Phrases Synonymous with work

take effect, take hold
Near Antonyms of work

backfire

fizzle
5 to set or keep in motion
  • This pump is worked by hand.
Synonyms of work

actuate, drive, impel, move, propel
Words Related to work

activate, motivate, provoke

abet, ferment, foment, incite, raise, stir (up), whip (up)

set off, trigger, trip

arouse, excite, fire (up), galvanize, inflame (also enflame), inspire, instigate, rouse, stimulate
Near Antonyms of work

bridle, check, constrain, contain, control, curb, inhibit, regulate, rein (in), restrain
6 to control the mechanical operation of
  • Show me how to work the machine.
Synonyms of work

handle, operate, run
Words Related to work

use

maneuver, manipulate, ply, wield

command, control, direct, drive, guide, pilot, steer
7 to devote serious and sustained effort
  • The organization has worked for years to raise people's awareness of human rights issues.
Synonyms of work

bang away, dig (away), drudge, endeavor, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg (away), plod, plow, plug, slave, slog, strain, strive, struggle, sweat, toil, travail, tug
Words Related to work

apply (oneself), buckle (down), dig in, hammer (away), knuckle down, pitch in

attack, drive

essay, try

exercise, exert, overexert, overwork

eke out, grind (out), put out, scrabble, scratch

trudge, wade
Phrases Synonymous with work

sweat blood
Near Antonyms of work

break, ease (up), let up, slacken

bum, chill, dally, dillydally, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), idle, laze, loaf, lounge, shirk, slack (off), veg out

bask, loll, relax, repose, rest, unwind

dabble, doodle, fool around, goof (around), hang, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle
8 to take unfair advantage of
  • a man not afraid to work his family name in order to get ahead
Synonyms of work

abuse, capitalize (on), cash in (on), exploit, impose (on or upon), leverage, milk, play (on or upon), use
Words Related to work

jerk around, manipulate, mistreat

bleed, cheat, fleece, overcharge, skin, soak, stick

commercialize, commodify
Phrases Synonymous with work

trade on, walk on

Learn More about work

  1. See words that rhyme with work Dictionary: Definition of work Spanish Central: Translation of work Nglish: Translation of work for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of work for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about work

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up work? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games