work

verb

/wɜːk/

/wɜːrk/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they work	/wɜːk/ /wɜːrk/
he / she / it works	/wɜːks/ /wɜːrks/
past simple worked	/wɜːkt/ /wɜːrkt/
past participle worked	/wɜːkt/ /wɜːrkt/
-ing form working	/ˈwɜːkɪŋ/ /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

jump to other results

do job/task

[intransitive] to do something that involves physical or mental effort, especially as part of a job

I can't work if I'm cold.
The kids always work hard at school.
work on something The whole team is currently working on the project.
He is working on a new novel.
She's outside, working on the car.
work at something I've been working at my assignment all day.
work with somebody Work with a partner to solve the problem.
We work closely with clients to develop specific solutions.
+ noun Doctors often work very long hours.
He works shifts at a metal plant.

Extra Examples

An architect must work within the confines of the laws of physics.
Employees are motivated to work harder for a variety of different reasons.
I've spent three hours working at this problem.
I work more efficiently on my own.
We worked steadily away all morning.
I got to work with leading architects.
We will continue to work with suppliers and listen to customers.
I have to work unsociable hours at times.
I am willing to work hard to accomplish this.
The police are actively working with different groups in the community.
She is working on an important murder case.
They are working in close partnership with the local council.
She met other artists who worked in similar ways to her.
The department works on issues of special concern to women.
They don't want to work seven days a week.

Topics Jobsa1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

hard
tirelessly
assiduously
…

verb + work

continue to
choose to
prefer to
…

preposition

See full entry

[intransitive] to have a job

Both my parents work.
to work in an office/a factory
work for somebody/something She works for an engineering company.
My father wants me to work for him when I leave school.
work in something I've always worked in education.
He worked in the oil industry for twenty years.
work with somebody/something Do you enjoy working with children?
work as something My son is working as a teacher.

Extra Examples

the people you work with
people who have worked closely together over a period of time
A lot of mothers choose to work part-time.
He's working as a builder at the moment.
He was found to be working illegally and was deported.
I work primarily with young children.
She works for an oil company.
He works directly with customers.
I prefer to work as part of a team.
I needed a job which would enable me to work at home.
They have lived and worked in the area all their life.
Many of them had the opportunity to work or study abroad.
The school is a great place to work.
She works with young people.
She is working in the field of historic preservation.
It is great to work in an environment that encourages creativity.
She is still working at the age of 80.
He works from home (= does paid work at home) two days a week.

Topics Working lifea1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

hard
tirelessly
assiduously
…

verb + work

continue to
choose to
prefer to
…

preposition

See full entry

make effort

[intransitive] to make efforts to achieve something

work for something She dedicated her life to working for peace.
work to do something The committee is working to get the prisoners freed.
work together We have proved that different groups can work harmoniously together.
work together to do something The police and the public need to work together to combat crime.

Extra Examples

Emergency teams were working around the clock to make the homes secure.
Farmers must work together for their own economic good.
We are actively working to increase the number of women in science.
They worked tirelessly to promote the charity.
I'm working on a plan to get out of this situation.

[transitive] work yourself/somebody + adv./prep. to make yourself/somebody work, especially very hard

She works herself too hard.
He says they're working him hard.

machine/device/system

[intransitive] to function; to operate

The printer isn't working.
How does the device actually work?
Are they any closer to understanding how the brain works?
work by something It works by electricity.
work by doing something The filtration process works by physically removing the contaminants from the water.

Extra Examples

My limbs seemed to be working independently of each other.
The machine is tested regularly to make sure it is working properly.
The fish's eyes can work independently of each other.
Both ends must be securely sealed for it to work effectively.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

correctly
effectively
efficiently
…

verb + work

seem to

phrases

work like a charm
work like magic
work to somebody’s advantage
…

See full entry

[transitive] work something to make a machine, device, etc. operate

Do you know how to work the coffee machine?
The machine is worked by wind power.

have result/effect

[intransitive] to have the result or effect that you want

The pills the doctor gave me aren't working.
My plan worked, and I got them to agree.
The system seemed to work well.
Everything worked very smoothly.
work on somebody/something His charm doesn't work on me (= does not affect or impress me).

Extra Examples

Organic farming works best with a wide variety of crops.
I might have an idea that would work perfectly.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

correctly
effectively
efficiently
…

verb + work

seem to

phrases

work like a charm
work like magic
work to somebody’s advantage
…

See full entry

[intransitive] to have a particular effect

work against somebody Your age can work against you in this job.
work in somebody’s favour Speaking Italian should work in his favour.

Extra Examples

You can make your youth work to your advantage.
Increased measures to keep out unwanted foreigners work to the disadvantage of genuine refugees.
The fact that you are experienced should work in your favour.

manage

[transitive] work something to manage or operate something to gain benefit from it

to work the land (= grow crops on it, etc.)
Boys who didn't go to school worked the land with their fathers.
He works a large area (= selling a company's goods, etc.).
You have to learn how to work the system if you want to succeed.
(figurative) She was a skilful speaker who knew how to work a crowd (= to excite them or make them feel something strongly).

use material

[transitive] to make a material into a particular shape or form by pressing, stretching, hitting it, etc.

work something to work clay
to work gold
work something into something to work the mixture into a paste

[intransitive] work in/with something (of an artist, etc.) to use a particular material to produce a picture or other item

an artist working in oils
a craftsman working with wool

Topics Arta2

of part of face/body

[intransitive] (formal) to move violently

He stared at me in horror, his mouth working.

move gradually

[intransitive, transitive] to move or pass to a particular place or state, usually gradually

+ adv./prep. It will take a while for the drug to work out of your system.

work your way + adv./prep. (figurative)

He worked his way to the top of his profession.
work yourself/something + adj. I was tied up, but managed to work myself free.
+ adj. The screw had worked loose.

Word OriginOld English weorc (noun), wyrcan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch werk and German Werk, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek ergon.

Idioms Most idioms containing work are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example work your fingers to the bone is at finger.

work it/things

(informal) to arrange something in a particular way, especially by being clever
- Can you work it so that we get free tickets?

work

noun

/wɜːk/

/wɜːrk/

Idioms

jump to other results

job/task

[uncountable] (used without the) the job that a person does especially in order to earn money synonym employment

He started work as a security guard.
I'm still looking for work.
It is difficult to find work in the present economic climate.
She's planning to return to work once the children start school.
full-time/part-time/unpaid/voluntary work
out of work She had been out of work (= without a job) for a year.
in work (British English) They are in work (= have a job).
What line of work are you in (= what type of work do you do)?
off work She's been off work (= not going to work) with a bad back since July.

Wordfinder

apply
appoint
contract
dismiss
employ
job
pay
retire
work
workforce

Collocations JobsJobsGetting a job

look for work
look for/apply for/go for a job
get/pick up/complete/fill out/ (British English) fill in an application (form)
send/email your (British English) CV/(North American English) résumé/application/application form/covering letter
be called for/have/attend an interview
offer somebody a job/work/employment/promotion
find/get/land a job
employ/ (especially North American English) hire/recruit/ (especially British English) take on staff/workers/trainees
recruit/appoint a manager

Doing a job

arrive at/get to/leave work/the office/the factory
start/finish work/your shift
do/put in/work overtime
have/gain/get/lack/need experience/qualifications
do/get/have/receive training
learn/pick up/improve/develop (your) skills
cope with/manage/share/spread the workload
improve your/achieve a better work-life balance
have (no) job satisfaction/job security

Building a career

have a job/work/a career/a vocation
find/follow/pursue/ (especially North American English) live (out) your vocation
enter/go into/join a profession
choose/embark on/start/begin/pursue a career
change jobs/profession/career
be/ (both especially British English) work/go freelance
do/take on temp work/freelance work
do/be engaged in/be involved in voluntary work

Leaving your job

leave/ (especially North American English) quit/resign from your job
give up work/your job/your career
hand in your notice/resignation
plan to/be due to retire in June/next year, etc.
take early retirement

Collocations UnemploymentUnemploymentLosing your job

lose your job
(British English) become/be made redundant
be offered/take voluntary redundancy/early retirement
face/be threatened with dismissal/(British English) the sack/(British English) compulsory redundancy
dismiss/fire/ (especially British English) sack an employee/a worker/a manager
lay off staff/workers/employees
(Australian English, New Zealand English, South African English) retrench workers
cut/reduce/downsize/slash the workforce
(British English) make staff/workers/employees redundant

Being unemployed

be unemployed/out of work/out of a job
seek/look for work/employment
be on/collect/draw/get/receive (both British English) unemployment benefit/jobseeker’s allowance
be/go/live/sign (British English, informal) on the dole
claim/draw/get (British English, informal) the dole
be on/qualify for (North American English) unemployment (compensation)
be/go/live/depend (North American English) on welfare
collect/receive (North American English) welfare
combat/tackle/cut/reduce unemployment

Wordfinder

administrative
freelance
managerial
manual
part-time
seasonal
skilled
temporary
voluntary
work

Synonyms workwork

employment
career
profession
occupation
trade

These are all words for the jobs that somebody does in return for payment, especially over a long period of time.

work
the job that somebody does, especially in order to earn money:
- It’s very difficult to find work at the moment.
employment
(rather formal) work, especially when it is done to earn money; the state of being employed or the situation in which people have work:
- Only half the people here are in paid employment.
career
the job or series of jobs that somebody has in a particular area of work, usually involving more responsibility as time passes:
- He had a very distinguished career in the Foreign Office.
profession
a type of job that needs special training or skill, especially one that needs a high level of education:
- He hopes to enter the medical profession.
The profession is all the people who work in a particular profession: the legal profession . The professions are the traditional jobs that need a high level of education and training, such as being a doctor or lawyer.
occupation
(rather formal) a job or profession:
- Please state your name, age, and occupation.
trade
a job, especially one that involves working with your hands and requires special training and skills:
- Carpentry is a highly skilled trade.

Patterns

in/out of work/employment
(a) full-time/part-time work/employment/career/occupation
permanent/temporary work/employment
(a) well-paid work/employment/profession/occupation
(a) low-paid work/employment/occupation
to look for/seek/find work/employment/a career/an occupation
to get/obtain/give somebody/offer somebody/create/generate/provide work/employment

Culture voluntary workvoluntary workVoluntary work is work that you do not get paid for and usually involves doing things to help other people, especially the elderly or the sick, or working for a charity or similar organization. Most charitable organizations rely on volunteers who don't get paid, and thousands of Americans and British people give many hours of their time to doing some form of social work or organizing fund-raising events to support the work. Volunteering is especially popular in the US and the reasons for this may be found in basic American values such as the Protestant ethic, the idea that work improves the person who does it, and the belief that people can change their condition if they try hard enough.People usually enjoy volunteering, as they choose jobs close to their personal interests. For instance, people who like animals may volunteer in an animal shelter, where they take care of animals that have been treated badly. Some voluntary work is short-term, for example, when people from a community get together to create a park. Other work is longer term, such as that of the US organization Habitat for Humanity, which builds houses for poor people. Parents often volunteer at their children's schools, and do things like building a play area or raising money for new equipment. Young people are also encouraged to do voluntary work. Schoolchildren visit old people in hospitals or homes, and students at college often raise money for charities. In the US young people over 18 can take part in AmeriCorps, a government programme that encourages them to work as volunteers for a period of time, with the promise of help in paying for their education later. Older Americans who do not work may spend much of their free time volunteering.In Britain a lot of voluntary work is directed towards supporting the country's social services. the Royal Voluntary Service and other organizations run a meals on wheels service in many parts of Britain, providing prepared meals for people who are unable to cook for themselves. The Citizens Advice Bureau, which offers free advice to the public on a wide range of issues, is run mainly by volunteers, and the Blood Transfusion Service relies on voluntary blood donors to give blood for use in hospitals. Political parties use volunteers at election time, and Churches depend on volunteers to keep buildings clean.

Extra Examples

A hundred grand for two days a week? Nice work if you can get it!
Full-time work is hard to find.
During the college vacations he does casual work in the local hospital.
Employees must not make personal calls during work hours.
He got laid off, so now he's looking for work again.
She hasn't been in regular work since she left school.
He preferred to make his money from honest work rather than from gambling.
He's been out of work since the factory closed.
Her boss told her she had to increase her work rate.
High income tax can undermine work incentives.
I met him through work.
I'm lucky—I love my work.
It's important to be happy in your work.
Just before he was sixty, he decided to give up work.
Many unemployed people welcome the chance to do purposeful work, even if unpaid.
She has just returned to work after the birth of her child.
She is now looking for paid work outside the home.
He stops work at the end of this month.
Some parents of young children choose not to go out to work.
What time does work start in the morning?
With so much unemployment, I'm lucky to be in work.
Work's going well at the moment.
Any kind of work with kids would suit him fine.
He loves his work as a stage manager.
She's been out of work for over a year.
I'm looking for any kind of construction work.
It is a country where most women with young children are in paid work.
It's very difficult to find work at the moment.
Would you give up work if you won the lottery?
Most of us find it difficult to balance work and home life.
They contacted the police when she did not report for work.
She was already there when he arrived for work the following morning.
I can't take any more time off work.
She has to travel abroad a lot for work.
He found some seasonal work on a farm.
It was difficult to get work because of the economic depression.

Topics Jobsa1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

paid
unpaid
lucrative
…

verb + work

have
look for
find
…

work + verb

go
start
finish
…

work + noun

day
hours
week
…

preposition

at work
in (your) work
off work
…

phrases

a line of work
a place of work

See full entry

[uncountable] (used without the) the place where you do your job; the time that you spend there

I go to work at 8 o'clock.
I was late for work again.
I have to leave work early today.
Her friends from work came to see her in the hospital.
I get on well with my work colleagues.
a pleasant work environment
at work The new legislation concerns health and safety at work.
before/after work I like to go for a run after work.

Extra Examples

I go to work by bus.
When do you leave for work?
What time do you knock off work tonight?
What time do you finish work?
We had a party at work.
‘Where's John?’ ‘He's still at work.’
I travel four hours each day to and from work.
Did you have a good day at work?

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

paid
unpaid
lucrative
…

verb + work

have
look for
find
…

work + verb

go
start
finish
…

work + noun

day
hours
week
…

preposition

at work
in (your) work
off work
…

phrases

a line of work
a place of work

See full entry

[uncountable] the duties that you have and the activities that you do as part of your job

Police work is mainly routine.
The accountant described his work to the sales staff.

effort

[uncountable] the use of physical strength or mental power in order to do or make something

She earned her grades through sheer hard work.
work on something We began work on the project last year.
They performed pioneering work on the treatment of cancer.
Work continues on renovating the hotel.
work of doing something The work of building the bridge took six months.
The art collection was his life's work.
She set them to work painting the fence.

product of work

[uncountable] a thing or things that are produced as a result of work

She's an artist whose work I really admire.
outstanding work in this area/field
Is this all your own work (= did you do it without help from others)?
The book is a detailed and thorough piece of work covering all aspects of the subject.
He left a substantial body of work—drawings and watercolours as well as oils.

Extra Examples

The degree show gives students a chance to exhibit their work in central London.
Her work appears at the Museum of Contemporary Art this summer.
State inspectors have cast doubt on claims of shoddy work on the new Bay Bridge.
Her work can be seen in most of the major European galleries.
A love of landscape informs all his work.
The finished work will be on view in the city art gallery.
These paintings are more abstract than her previous work.
It was an interesting piece of work.
The new president spent the first year undoing the work of his predecessor.
We're supposed to hand in this work tomorrow.
His written work is the best in the class.
Nice work, James! I'm impressed.
Work produced on a computer tends to look more professional.
The report is the joint work of an economist and a sociologist.
They published a book about her life and work.
This study extends earlier work by the research team.
His recent work has more energy and creativity.
The exhibition features original works by leading sculptors.
Her later work was more traditional.
a large volume of published work on world architecture
They strive to create work that is innovative.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

hard
arduous
back-breaking
…

… of work

bit
piece

verb + work

carry out
do
put in
…

work + verb

come
wait
go
…

work + noun

ethic
rate
habit
…

preposition

at work
work on
work with
…

phrases

a backlog of work
keep up the good work
your life’s work
…

See full entry

book/music/art

[countable] a book, piece of music, painting, etc.

the collected/complete works of Tolstoy
works of fiction/literature
Chopin’s piano works
Beethoven composed his greatest works in the latter part of his life.
work by somebody He recognized the sketch as an early work by Degas.

compare opus see also work of art

Extra Examples

a work entitled ‘The Sacrifice’
The film is based on an early work by Alan Moore.
The town hall is exhibiting works by local artists.
a work entitled ‘Forward Pass’
a work consisting of twelve small blank canvases
Her portfolio includes published works in several magazines.
a work by an unknown 18th-century writer
The gallery is staging a special exhibition of Monet's early works.
She's studying the theme of death in the works of Beckett.
Picasso's mature works
People are using file-sharing to steal copyrighted works.
Over the next two years, the company is putting on the complete works of Brecht.
Her latest novel is a work of genius.
Her book is still considered the definitive work on beetles.
He does mainly commissioned portrait works.
The work represents a synthesis of the natural and the artificial.
They discovered that his CV was a complete work of fiction.
medieval literary works

Topics Literature and writinga2, Musica2, Arta2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

classic
fine
great
…

… of work

series
collection
exhibit
…

verb + work

compose
create
produce
…

work + verb

be called something
be entitled something
be titled something
…

preposition

in a/the work
work by

phrases

a work of art
a work of fiction
a work of literature
…

See full entry

result of action

[uncountable] work (of somebody/something) the result of an action; what is done by somebody

The damage is clearly the work of vandals.

building/repairing

works

[plural] (often in compounds) activities involving building or repairing something

roadworks
They expanded the shipyards and started engineering works.
A contract can ensure that landlords carry out the works for which they are legally responsible.

factory

works

(plural works)

[countable + singular or plural verb] (often in compounds) a place where things are made or industrial processes take place

an engineering works
a brickworks
Raw materials were carried to the works by barge.

Synonyms factoryfactory

plant
mill
works
yard
workshop
foundry

These are all words for buildings or places where things are made or where industrial processes take place.

factory
a building or group of buildings where goods are made, mainly by machine:
- a chocolate/cigarette/clothing factory
plant
a factory or place where power is produced or an industrial process takes place:
- a nuclear power plant
- a manufacturing plant
mill
a factory that produces a particular type of material:
- a cotton/paper/textile/woollen mill
works
(often in compounds) a place where things are made or an industrial process takes place:
- a brickworks
- a steelworks
- Raw materials were carried to the works by barge.
yard
(usually in compounds) an area of land used for building something:
- a shipyard
workshop
a room or building in which things are made or repaired using hand tools or machinery (usually individual items or small numbers of items):
- a car repair workshop
foundry
a factory where metal or glass is melted and made into different shapes or objects:
- an iron foundry

Patterns

a car/chemical/munitions factory/plant
an engineering plant/works
to manage/run a factory/plant/mill/works/yard/workshop/foundry
to work in/at a factory/plant/mill/yard/workshop/foundry
factory/mill/foundry owners/managers/workers

Extra Examples

The works at Bury turned out thousands of television sets a week.
the night shift at the works
The smell is believed to have originated from the sewage works.
Scotland's biggest water treatment works

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

brick
iron
steel
…

verb + works

open
close
close down
…

works + verb

open
close
close down
…

works + noun

manager
supervisor
canteen
…

preposition

at the work

See full entry

parts of machine

the works

[plural] the moving parts of a machine, etc. synonym mechanism

everything

the works

[plural] (informal) everything

We went to the chip shop and had the works: fish, chips, gherkins, mushy peas.

physics

[uncountable] the use of force to produce movement see also joule

Word OriginOld English weorc (noun), wyrcan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch werk and German Werk, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek ergon.

Idioms

all in a day’s work

part of your normal working life and not unusual
- Swimming with sharks or training a tiger cub—it's all in a day's work for animal wrangler Chris Bolton.

all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy)

(saying) it is not healthy to spend all your time working; you need to relax too

at work

having an effect on something
- She suspected that secret influences were at work.
at work (on something) busy doing something
- He is still at work on the painting.
- Danger—men at work.

the devil makes work for idle hands

(saying) people who do not have enough to do often start to do wrong
- She blamed the crimes on the local jobless teenagers. ‘The devil makes work for idle hands,’ she would say.

(do somebody’s) dirty work

(to do) the unpleasant or dishonest jobs that somebody else does not want to do
- Next time you can get somebody else to do your dirty work for you!
- He always gets someone else to do the dirty work for him.
- The drugs gang used children to do their dirty work for them.

get (down) to/set to work

to begin; to make a start
- We set to work on the outside of the house (= for example, painting it).
- Let's get to work.

give somebody the works

(informal) to give or tell somebody everything

go/set about your work

to do/start to do your work
- She went cheerfully about her work.

good works

kind acts to help others

have your work cut out

(informal) to be likely to have difficulty doing something
- You'll have your work cut out to get there by nine o'clock.
Topics Difficulty and failurec2

in the works

something that is in the works is being discussed, planned or prepared and will happen or exist soon synonym in the pipeline

a job of work

(British English, old-fashioned or formal) work that you are paid to do or that must be done
- There was a job of work waiting for him that he was not looking forward to.

make hard work of something

to use more time or energy on a task than is necessary

make light work of something

to do something quickly and with little effort

make short work of something/somebody

to defeat, deal with something/somebody quickly
- Liverpool made short work of the opposition (= in a football match).
- He made short work of his lunch (= ate it quickly).
- Mike made short work of fixing the engine.

many hands make light work

(saying) used to say that a job is made easier if a lot of people help

a nasty piece of work

(British English, informal) a person who is unpleasant, unkind or dishonest
- Don’t trust him; he’s a nasty piece of work.
- He's a thoroughly nasty piece of work.

nice work!

(informal, especially British English) used to show you are pleased when somebody has done something well
- You did a good job today. Nice work, James!

nice work if you can get it

(informal) used when you wish that you had somebody’s success or good luck and think they have achieved it with little effort
- He was paid £200 for a ten-minute speech? Nice work if you can get it.
Topics Successc2

(throw) a spanner in the works (British English)

(North American English (throw) a (monkey) wrench in the works)

(to cause) a delay or problem with something that somebody is planning or doingTopics Difficulty and failurec2

too much like hard work

needing too much effort
- I can't be bothered making a hot meal—it's too much like hard work.

the work of a moment, second, etc.

(formal) a thing that takes a very short time to do
- It was the work of a few minutes to hide the damage.