Definition of worknext
1
2
3
as in to serve
to have a certain purpose the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in to perform
to produce a desired effect this headache remedy takes half an hour to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
6
as in to operate
to control the mechanical operation of show me how to work the machine

Synonyms & Similar Words

7
8

work

2 of 2

noun

1
as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production unfortunately, many of her works are now out of print

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
4
5
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

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun work contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of work are drudgery, grind, labor, toil, and travail. While all these words 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

In what contexts can drudgery take the place of work?

The meanings of drudgery and work largely overlap; however, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than work?

The synonyms grind and work are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When could labor be used to replace work?

The words labor and work are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When is toil a more appropriate choice than work?

The words toil and work can be used in similar contexts, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When is it sensible to use travail instead of work?

Although the words travail and work have much in common, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

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 work
Verb
Their biggest obstacle is that their collectivist vision has never worked without trampling on civil liberties. Nolan Finley The Detroit News, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026 Palace’s new manager, Pierre Sage, worked with Fofana at Lyon, first in the youth system, then as head coach. Michael Walker, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
There's also 30% off men's Timberland waterproof work boots, 21% off On Cloud 6 sneakers and discounted New Balance sneakers for kids. ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026 The sterile fly program complements efforts to monitor wildlife, inspect animals and work with ranchers in areas where the fly has been spotted to encourage regular checks for infestations. Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
Verb
  • Authorities were not immediately sure what caused the crash, and Cordero-Stutz declined to answer additional questions from reporters.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The corn stalks across the state emit more moisture into the atmosphere, causing the humidity to rise.
    Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In a squad that features Kylian Mbappe, Brahim Diaz, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr, Diomande can work his way into the first XI rather than arrive with the responsibility of solving a glaring problem.
    David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Actors, academics and press are still trying to solve the puzzle 37 years later.
    Matt Donnelly, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The jury did convict Rosado of driving under the influence and he was sentenced to five years in prison, but Rosado has been behind bars on a $2 million bail since 2021 so won't have to serve any additional time.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • After Shedeur Sanders and Hunter left Boulder for the NFL, the 2025 calendar year served as a reminder of how swiftly things can change.
    Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • At this point, the two begin (deep sigh) performing lines from Romeo and Juliet while dressed as the title characters.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Participants perform duck walks, suitcase carries, bear crawls and overhead holds reminiscent of the log and boat carries in Marine boot camps.
    Jenna Belhumeur, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Haaland, along with Martin Odegaard, was the driving force behind Norway’s run to the quarter-finals.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • If Assembly Bill 1709 is approved, social media companies would need to provide platforms to children under 16 years old that do not include personalized feeds driven by algorithms, autoplaying videos and other features.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The project is aimed at making hypersonic flight testing faster and more repeatable, addressing one of the major bottlenecks in the development of weapons and other systems designed to operate at speeds above Mach 5.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Hundreds more cameras could be left operating and unaffected throughout the four-county region.
    Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Underwood, then a true freshman, struggled in that meeting, and his inconsistent play against Western Michigan (12-of-22 passing) has led to questions about his job status.
    Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Despite being one of Africa’s largest oil producers, the Dangote Refinery initially struggled to secure enough domestic crude and had to turn to international suppliers at a premium.
    Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Elegante used a heavy retractable hardtop operated by an elaborate electro-hydraulic mechanism, with the entire operation taking roughly two minutes.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Seahawks used that coverage on nearly 50% of its defensive snaps in the Super Bowl, the highest rate Maye saw all season.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on work

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster