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
For one, the number of households where both parents work full time has steadily risen in recent decades. Joe Hernandez, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026 Student attendance will improve if the school and parents work together in improving attendance. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
Her work combined British tailoring and historical references with deliberately confrontational elements, enthusiasts say. Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026 The work that’s growing fastest is work done with people and with things — the kind AI is furthest from touching. Pat Gelsinger, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
Verb
  • No animals that might cause people to wonder, or to feel wonder, at their own place in the universe.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • But groups like the Hollywood labor guilds are celebrating the settlement news, as the staring contest between Ellison and the AGs caused paralysis in development and spending seemingly across the board at both companies.
    Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • A student who is laughing while solving a challenging problem is still learning.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Home-server owners will already understand the attraction, and the pro’s solved this ages ago but spent a lot more than this.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Manchin never ran after serving in the Senate, but Senate Republicans believe Justice is more likely to run than not, according to several GOP sources.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The heart of it is the sushi counter, a beautiful bar where chefs work meticulously right in front of you, and where the eight-course Signature Omakase is served.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Or Dalia’s spontaneous ability to perform the same ritual effectively without the usual cohort of Nasmaranian trustees in the video by reciting a few lines of laughable formal Arabic.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • At scale, those infrastructure inefficiencies can multiply with thousands of agents performing millions of tasks per day.
    Nicola Sfondrini, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Maybe real New Yorkers do drive, because this is some serious New York behavior.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Yet the deepest human transformations operate on a different layer of architecture—driven by adaptive, systemic processes that our analytical minds can’t fully dictate.
    Patrick Murphy, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Blough said farmers will be clocked by the high prices because of the high use of diesel to transport fertilizers and crops and operate tractors and combines.
    Kevin Williams, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Cabot expects the projects to support manufacturing and construction jobs while creating additional capacity for customers operating in the North American battery supply chain.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Last year, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office struggled with contractor Tyler Technologies to get money from county coffers out to districts.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • But the Hurricanes struggled in the second half, and Wake Forest nearly got back into the game.
    Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • And Oscar, stunned at his victory, promises to use his winnings to take the whole cast and crew to dinner.
    Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Many organizations don’t have a complete inventory of where cryptography is being used today.
    Evgeny Gervis, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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