Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense tasks, present participle tasking, past tense, past participle tasked
1. countable noun
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a largerproject.
Walker had the unenviable task of breaking the bad news to Hill.
She used the day to catch up with administrative tasks.
Synonyms: job, duty, assignment, work More Synonyms of task
2. verb
If you are taskedwith doing a particular activity or piece of work, someone in authority asks you to do it.
The minister was tasked with checking that aid money was being spent wisely. [beVERB-ed + with]
Synonyms: charge [formal], assign to, entrust More Synonyms of task
3.
See take sb to task
More Synonyms of task
task in British English
(tɑːsk)
noun
1.
a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or chore
2.
an unpleasant or difficult job or duty
3.
any piece of work
4. take to task
verb(transitive)
5.
to assign a task to
6.
to subject to severe strain; tax
Derived forms
tasker (ˈtasker)
noun
taskless (ˈtaskless)
adjective
Word origin
C13: from Old French tasche, from Medieval Latin tasca, from taxa tax, from Latin taxāre to tax
task in American English
(tæsk; tɑsk)
noun
1.
a piece of work assigned to or demanded of a person
2.
any piece of work
3.
an undertaking involving labor or difficulty
verb transitive
4.
to assign a task to; require or demand a piece of work of
5.
to put a burden on; strain; overtax
Idioms:
take to task
SYNONYMY NOTE: task refers to a piece of work assigned to or demanded of someone, as by another person,by duty, etc., and usually implies that this is difficult or arduous work [he has the task of answering letters]; chore applies to any of the routine domestic activities for which one is responsible [his chore is washing the dishes]; stint1 refers to a task that is one's share of the work done by a group and usually connotesa minimum to be completed in the allotted time [we've all done our daily stint]; assignment applies to a specific, prescribed task allotted by someone in authority [classroom assignments]; job1, in this connection, refers to a specific piece of work, as in one's trade or asvoluntarily undertaken for pay [the job of painting our house]
Word origin
ME taske < NormFr tasque (OFr tasche) < ML tasca, for taxa, a tax < L taxare, to rate, value, tax
More idioms containing
task
take someone to task
COBUILD Collocations
task
accomplish a task
approach a task
arduous task
basic task
begin a task
challenging task
complete a task
complex task
daily task
formidable task
grim task
handle a task
hopeless task
household task
important task
main task
mammoth task
menial task
monumental task
mundane task
onerous task
perform a task
primary task
repetitive task
routine task
simple task
stiff task
straightforward task
tackle a task
thankless task
tough task
tricky task
undertake a task
uphill task
urgent task
vital task
Examples of 'task' in a sentence
task
The groups are then given a second task that requires persistence to complete.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That will be a very difficult task.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Groups are given a first task.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's down to business plans and how hard you work throughout the tasks.
The Sun (2016)
After clocking on, you are assigned a task.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
These systems may become very good at one particular task, but we do not really understand them.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
Over grilled aubergines she explains how the next task is to take all the data collected back to her lab in Milan and identify the bodies.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Getting the selection right for the South Africa game is looking more and more of an unenviable task.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Your task is to work on your skills and ensure your partner feels part of your success.
The Sun (2013)
It is an unenviable task but he must stand strong for the longterm good of racing.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The hardest task of the day was carrying it back to my hotel room.
Frankie Dettori with Jonathan Powell FRANKIE: The Autobiography of Frankie Dettori (2004)
What is meant is organization designed for specific tasks rather than for supposedly "eternal" purposes.
Peter F. Drucker MANAGEMENT: task, responsibilities, practices (1974)
You can imagine our task of finding jobs for those workers.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
They needed only two hours in the morning to complete their part of the task yesterday.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We first must decide why we choose to accomplish our single task in a particular way.
Christianity Today (2000)
They usually finish this task over a second cup of coffee.
McKenzie, James F. & Pinger, Robert R. An Introduction to Community Health (1995)
This will be a difficult task but one which we will apply ourselves to.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The rest of the second day we are available for air testing or administrative tasks.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Gender and age are universally used to assign different economic tasks.
Harris, Marvin Cultural Anthropology (1995)
Their task is to work out how.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The competing teams are set eight tough tasks over four days and three nights.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They set aside time for specific tasks and do it.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This has led to problems with reliability in the field and suitability for the tasks they are given.
The Sun (2009)
The second approach is to remember a time when you were not fully committed to some task or project.
O'Connor, Joseph & Seymour, John Training with N.L.P. (1994)
We need public sector employees to want to take their activity or task and run it from outside government.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You are ready to take on a task that stretches your abilities but also shows how smart you are.
The Sun (2009)
You can talk confidently without sounding conceited and make it clear that you can handle a work task or personal project.
The Sun (2011)
Their security looks likely to be precarious, their task unenviable.
James Fergusson KANDAHAR COCKNEY: A Tale of Two Worlds (2004)
Petty, mundane chores and tasks you need to catch up on take up most of your time today.
The Sun (2015)
Try to identify tasks or chores that you get caught up in but you don't really want orneed to do.
The Sun (2010)
For the easy tasks, brain activity was very similar, but tougher challenges prompted differences.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
task
British English: task /tɑːsk/ NOUN
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do.
I had the unpleasant task of breaking the bad news to my colleague.
American English: task
Arabic: مُهِمَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: tarefa
Chinese: 任务
Croatian: zadatak
Czech: úkol
Danish: opgave
Dutch: taak
European Spanish: tarea
Finnish: tehtävä
French: tâche
German: Aufgabe
Greek: έργο αποστολή
Italian: compito
Japanese: 任務
Korean: 과제
Norwegian: oppgave
Polish: zadanie
European Portuguese: tarefa
Romanian: sarcinăde lucru
Russian: задание
Latin American Spanish: tarea
Swedish: uppgift
Thai: ภารกิจ
Turkish: görev
Ukrainian: завдання
Vietnamese: nhiệm vụ
British English: task VERB
If you are tasked with doing a particular activity or piece of work, someone in authority asks you to do it.
The minister was tasked with checking that aid money was being spent wisely.
American English: task
Brazilian Portuguese: incumbir
Chinese: 委派任务 给…
European Spanish: encomendar
French: charger
German: beauftragt
Italian: incaricare
Japanese: 仕事を課す
Korean: 일이 주어지다
European Portuguese: incumbir
Latin American Spanish: encomendar
All related terms of 'task'
grim task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
main task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
basic task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
daily task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
menial task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
simple task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
stiff task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
task force
A task force is a small section of an army , navy , or air force that is sent to a particular place to deal with a military crisis .
tough task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
tricky task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project .
uphill task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
urgent task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
vital task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project .
arduous task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
complex task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project .
hopeless task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
mammoth task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
mundane task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project .
onerous task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
primary task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
routine task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
task-oriented
focusing on the completion of particular tasks as a measure of success
begin a task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
formidable task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
household task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
important task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project .
monumental task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
repetitive task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project .
take to task
to criticize or reprove
thankless task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
challenging task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project .
handle a task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
perform a task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
tackle a task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
taskbar
a row of selectable buttons and icons typically running along the bottom of a computer screen , displaying information such as the names of running programs
accomplish a task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
approach a task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
complete a task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project .
straightforward task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
take sb to task
If you take someone to task , you criticize them or tell them off because of something bad or wrong that they have done.
undertake a task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.
lexical decision task
an experimental task in which subjects have to decide as fast as possible whether a given letter string is a word
Chinese translation of 'task'
task
(tɑːsk)
n(c)
任务(務) (rènwù) (项, xiàng)
to take sb to task (= rebuke, scold) 责(責)备(備)某人 (zébèi mǒurén)
(noun)
Definition
a specific piece of work required to be done
He had the unenviable task of breaking the bad news.
Synonyms
job
Their main job is to preserve health rather than treat illness.
duty
My duty is to look after the animals.
assignment
The course involves written assignments and practical tests.
work
What kind of work do you do?
business
May I ask what business you are in?
charge
labour
The chef looked up from his labours.
exercise
Try working through the opening exercises in this chapter.
mission
He viewed his mission in life as protecting the weak from evil.
employment
She was unable to find employment in the area.
enterprise
undertaking
Organizing the show has been a massive undertaking.
occupation
I was looking for an occupation which would allow me to travel.
chore
I find gardening a real chore.
toil
1 (verb)
The minister was tasked with checking that aid was spent wisely.
Synonyms
charge (formal)
Her boss charged her with a hazardous mission.
assign to
entrust
They are prepared to entrust her with the leadership of the party.
2 (verb)
Synonyms
strain
Resources will be further strained by new demands for housing.
test
tax
Overcrowding has taxed the city's ability to deal with waste.
push
load
burden
We decided not to burden him with the news.
exhaust
saddle
The war saddled the country with huge foreign debt.
weary
The work wearied him to the point of exhaustion.
lumber (British, informal)
She was lumbered with a bill for about £90.
oppress
overload
an effective method that will not overload staff with more paperwork
idiom
See take someone to task
Additional synonyms
in the sense of assignment
Definition
something that has been assigned, such as a task
The course involves written assignments and practical tests.
Synonyms
task,
work,
job,
charge,
position,
post,
commission,
exercise,
responsibility,
duty,
mission,
appointment,
undertaking,
occupation,
chore
in the sense of burden
Definition
to weigh down
We decided not to burden him with the news.
Synonyms
weigh down,
worry,
load,
tax,
strain,
bother,
overwhelm,
handicap,
oppress,
inconvenience,
overload,
saddle with,
encumber,
trammel,
incommode
in the sense of business
Definition
a trade or profession
May I ask what business you are in?
Synonyms
profession,
work,
calling,
job,
line,
trade,
career,
function,
employment,
craft,
occupation,
pursuit,
vocation,
métier
Synonyms of 'task'
task
Explore 'task' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of chore
Definition
an unpleasant task
I find gardening a real chore.
Synonyms
task,
job,
duty,
burden,
hassle (informal),
fag (informal),
errand,
no picnic
in the sense of duty
Definition
a obligation to fulfil one's responsibilities
My duty is to look after the animals.
Synonyms
responsibility,
job,
task,
work,
calling,
business,
service,
office,
charge,
role,
function,
mission,
province,
obligation,
assignment,
pigeon (informal),
onus
in the sense of employment
Definition
a person's work or occupation
She was unable to find employment in the area.
Synonyms
job,
work,
business,
position,
trade,
post,
situation,
employ,
calling,
profession,
occupation,
pursuit,
vocation,
métier
in the sense of entrust
Definition
to put (something) into the care of someone
They are prepared to entrust her with the leadership of the party.
Synonyms
assign,
charge (formal),
trust,
invest,
authorize
in the sense of exercise
Definition
a set of movements, tasks, etc., designed to improve or test one's ability or fitness
Try working through the opening exercises in this chapter.
Synonyms
task,
problem,
lesson,
assignment,
work,
schooling,
practice,
schoolwork
in the sense of exhaust
Synonyms
empty,
dry,
strain,
drain,
void
in the sense of labour
Definition
difficult work or a difficult job
The chef looked up from his labours.
Synonyms
chore,
job,
task,
undertaking
in the sense of lumber
Definition
to burden with something unpleasant
She was lumbered with a bill for about £90.
Synonyms
burden,
land,
load,
saddle,
impose upon,
encumber
in the sense of mission
Definition
a task or duty that a person believes he or she must achieve
He viewed his mission in life as protecting the weak from evil.
Synonyms
task,
work,
calling,
business,
job,
office,
charge,
goal,
operation,
commission,
trust,
aim,
purpose,
duty,
undertaking,
pursuit,
quest,
assignment,
vocation,
errand
in the sense of occupation
Definition
a person's job or profession
I was looking for an occupation which would allow me to travel.
Synonyms
job,
work,
calling,
business,
line (of work),
office,
trade,
position,
post,
career,
situation,
activity,
employment,
craft,
profession,
pursuit,
vocation,
livelihood,
walk of life
Additional synonyms
in the sense of overload
an effective method that will not overload staff with more paperwork
Synonyms
strain,
tax,
burden,
saddle,
oppress,
overwork,
overcharge,
weigh down,
encumber,
overtax,
overburden,
push to the limit
in the sense of saddle
Definition
to burden with (a responsibility)
The war saddled the country with huge foreign debt.
Synonyms
burden,
load,
lumber (British, informal),
charge,
tax,
task,
encumber
in the sense of tax
Definition
to make heavy demands on
Overcrowding has taxed the city's ability to deal with waste.
Synonyms
strain,
push,
stretch,
try,
test,
task,
load,
burden,
drain,
exhaust,
weaken,
weary,
put pressure on,
sap,
wear out,
weigh heavily on,
overburden,
make heavy demands on,
enervate
in the sense of undertaking
Definition
a task or enterprise
Organizing the show has been a massive undertaking.