to work
- verb
- /wɜrk/
- And that seems to, that seems to work now.
- work well
- work properly
- work effectively
And the way that heuristics work is really smart.
- And the way that heuristics work is really smart.
- These are from tart and they work like a dream.
- When you learn how it works, miracles happen.
- Also they say, but if it works, it will look great.
- And that really, really started working well, very well.
- A simple CGM little device doesn't work so well in space.
- When your log line doesn't work, your story doesn't work.
- Apparently these work for touch as well, so.
Examples
-
I've had this for years and it works so well.
-
The question is whether the entire machine is working well in given schools, districts, and states.
Academic text (2013) -
Or I mean, how does that work, right?
-
Also they say, but if it works, it will look great.
-
And that really, really started working well, very well.
-
No, this thing's not gonna work at all.
-
How do they work in all this noise?
-
Technology that allows lawyers to work at home makes it increasingly impossible not to.
Academic text (2017) -
It's just that it hasn't worked as we wanted.
-
After several attempts, we finally figured out how to make the printer work properly.
Synonyms
To make a machine or device work
To make a machine or system work as it should
To work in a particular role or job
Have an effect or work in a certain way
Does a job in old or poetic language
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
Act with different goals so people cannot work well together
- Informal
To put a lot of effort into work and enjoy free time actively
- Informal
A humorous question asking if people do their job a lot or only a little
Phrasal Verbs
- Informal
To move around a party or event and talk to many people to make connections
- Specialized
To shape metal by bending or hitting it at room temperature without heat
Do a simple job slowly or in the wrong way so it is much harder than needed
Compounds
An object like a painting or sculpture that people think is beautiful and made with skill
- Informal
Something impressive but difficult, for example a book or building, and sometimes a person who behaves strangely
- Formal
Official paper that lets a person from another country work in that country for a time
Planned activities by religious people to share their faith and help communities
Work that installs, fixes, or looks after wires and devices that bring power into a building
A system where students do paid part-time work and study to gain experience
A song with a steady beat people sing to make repeating work easier, for example in fields or on ships
A belief that hard work, discipline, and saving money are morally good, often linked to Protestant Christianity
- Archaic
Workers who stay at their workplace and keep working to protest closure or job cuts
- Formal
Official documents that show a person may have a job, often for immigrants or young workers
- Specialized
The job of shaping and joining thin metal sheets to make building parts like vents
- Formal
Friendly relationships between people who work together that can cause problems
- Specialized
A type of metal that stays hard at high temperatures used to make cutting tools like drills
- Specialized
Work done by a person who is not a lawyer to help legal cases, like preparing documents and doing research
- Specialized
Work of designing, making, and fixing metal tools and forms used to make parts
- Informal
A close, supportive colleague you have a personal bond with that is not romantic
How Well
Surface Forms
Etymology
Work as a verb comes from the same root weorc meaning 'to do', and so it can mean 'to function' — a machine or plan that works is one that 'does' its job.