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to work

to work

2.3
To move and shape materials with hands or tools
  • verb
  • /wɜrk/
translation icon : trabajar
  • He decided to work the clay into a beautiful sculpture.

My fingers are too arthritic to work the little clasp.

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Examples

  • After doing this activity, we came back together and worked on a different vocabulary activity.

    Academic text (2015)
  • I'm trying to work on it.

  • You just have to really work this one into your skin.

  • I had my dad over and we were working on the library.

  • And for me, working with the hands is the best.

  • How about we work with Dave in Boston?

  • The soundproof glass rooms were ideal for my students to work on their group projects.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Such an interaction also builds a sense of working together, so essential for ensemble performance.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Teaching world music can be challenging when working with an unfamiliar style of music.

    Academic text (2011)
  • They learn to improvise, dance, sing, work with each other, and some of them really need it, they really do.

Synonyms

to work on
vsto work
2.6

Spend time and effort improving or finishing something

is about physically shaping or preparing materials rather than general improvement effort
to process
vsto work
388 3.0

To handle or change something by a series of actions

is the simpler act of directly manipulating or shaping materials
to shape
vsto work
299 2.0

To give something a certain form for a purpose

is more general, covering all actions that change materials or substances
to work in
vsto work
268 3.5

To add something carefully into a mixture or conversation

is mainly about changing materials or substances rather than mixing into them
to form
vsto work
156 1.6

To make or shape something

focuses specifically on changing materials or substances rather than abstract creation
to forge
vsto work
47 4.6

To shape metal by heating and hammering or to make something with effort

is the general act of shaping materials, not limited to heated percussion methods
to manipulate
vsto work
36 4.2

To move or control something with the hands in a skillful way

is a wider activity of shaping or preparing materials beyond mere handling
to mold
vsto work
  • US
35 3.2

To shape something by hand or in a container

is broader, including many ways to change material form or state
to handcraft
vsto work
17 3.7

To make something by hand with skill and care

is broader, meaning to manipulate or prepare materials using varied methods
to knead
vsto work
14 3.5

Press and fold a soft mixture like dough until it is smooth

is the broader act of preparing materials, not only repetitive mixing actions
9 3.6

To do work using your hands, like making or fixing things

is the general act of changing materials, not only physical labor
to machine
vsto work
  • Specialized
4 6.3

To cut and shape metal or other material using a powered tool

includes manual and tool-based shaping as well as powered equipment use
to tool
vsto work
2 6.0

To shape or work material by using tools

is the general activity of changing materials, not defined by using instruments
to handwork
vsto work
4.6

To make or finish something by hand

covers this manual approach but also includes tool use and other methods
to worketh
vsto work
  • Archaic
9.9

Does a job in old or poetic language

is the everyday term for manipulating or preparing materials in ordinary speech

Antonyms

100 3.5

Not caring for someone or something that needs care

Idioms

680 1.0

You are in the place where you do your job

124 1.8

Without a job and trying to find one

13 8.4

Try very hard for a long time to do something

8 3.4

Spend a lot of time doing hard, tiring tasks

6 6.1

To make something much better using skill and new ideas

Do very hard, long jobs until you are very tired

3 4.8

Try very hard for some time

1 4.4

You have too much work and not enough time

1 3.6

To use a lot of energy to do a hard job for a long time

1 5.2

To do something with a lot of energy and good results

1 6.7

Act with different goals so people cannot work well together

To put a lot of effort into work and enjoy free time actively

Great care and effort for your job

A humorous question asking if people do their job a lot or only a little

A lifestyle of very hard work followed by active free time

7.9

A state of always thinking about your job even when trying to relax

to work to rule
  • Literature
7.5

Follow rules exactly to make tasks slower as a protest

6.0

To do very hard, long tasks until you are very tired

Phrasal Verbs

2.6

Spend time and effort improving or finishing something

950 2.8

To find a solution or plan by thinking carefully

911 3.0

To happen in a certain way, often with a good result

To do something with other people to reach the same goal

489 2.3

To try hard to get better at or finish something over time

455 1.0

To travel from home to your job

Start doing your job again after a break

268 3.5

To add something carefully into a mixture or conversation

to get to work
  • Informal
231 2.0

To start doing your job, often after a delay

165 3.2

To find an answer to a problem by thinking or talking

155 2.0

To exercise to improve your health

152 3.4

To deal with a problem, task, or feeling step by step until it is done

122 2.8

To calculate a number or total from given facts

95 2.0

To start operating and do the job it was made for

to work it
  • Informal
89 8.4

To act with confidence and skill to attract other people's attention

Make someone or something start working by giving tasks

to work up
  • Informal
57 5.6

To become very upset or angry because of something

50 4.2

To gradually build up a feeling such as confidence or interest

50 3.9

To develop an idea, plan, or design with effort

To start doing a task or project seriously

To do your job at night rather than during the day

To earn money by having a job

23 3.5

To get rid of something by exercising or paying money

to work wonders
  • Informal
19 3.8

To make something much better or more successful

To do work using your hands, like making or fixing things

to work over
  • Offensive
8 8.4

To physically attack and beat someone to punish or threaten them

To begin working right away with energy

5 3.7

To keep doing a job or task without stopping for a long time

to work the room
  • Informal
5 7.1

To move around a party or event and talk to many people to make connections

4 3.9

Finish a task quickly and well

4 4.4

To finish something quickly and with little effort

3 4.4

To carefully check and change writing or plans for mistakes

Get a professional to do a job for you

1 5.1

To plan or check earlier steps by working backwards from a deadline

1 5.4

Make someone very tired by giving them too much to do

1 4.1

To finish a task quickly and with little effort

Relax and feel less stressed after work

to cold work
  • Specialized
7.8

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

To stop doing a job to protest for better pay or conditions

7.0

Act alone in a company without sharing information with other teams

To do paid work instead of volunteering

Compounds

355 1.6

A lot of steady effort to achieve something difficult

110 3.1

A type of job someone does to earn money

86 3.5

An object like a painting or sculpture that people think is beautiful and made with skill

66 3.0

Police investigate crimes and enforce the law

dirty work
  • Informal
65 4.6

Unpleasant or shameful tasks that other people avoid

A project that is not finished yet

38 3.7

Happening after the workday ends

after-work
  • Informal
30 3.5

A casual gathering with colleagues after the workday to relax

A careful search to find information and solve a crime or mystery

23 4.1

Complete collection of works a person creates, like books or paintings

piece of work
  • Informal
23 6.2

Something impressive but difficult, for example a book or building, and sometimes a person who behaves strangely

14 6.5

Kind actions that help people and serve a higher purpose

14 3.0

Trained workers help people, families, or communities in need

Secret work where someone gathers information for the police or security

work permit
  • Formal
11 3.2

Official paper that lets a person from another country work in that country for a time

11 1.6

Clothes you wear for hard, dirty jobs that protect you and last a long time

11 3.4

A set of treatments a dentist gives to fix or keep teeth and gums healthy

11 3.8

Study done outside in natural places like forests or villages

grunt work
  • Informal
10 5.3

Boring, simple jobs that are necessary and take a lot of time

A time when workers stop working to protest about pay or conditions

Planned activities by religious people to share their faith and help communities

6 7.0

A camp where prisoners must do hard physical work

6 1.0

A day when someone usually works at their job

Work that installs, fixes, or looks after wires and devices that bring power into a building

4 3.4

Tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and child care seen as the job of women

4 2.7

A flat surface like a table or countertop where you do work

4 2.4

The hours when a person must work for their job

4 2.8

A strong shirt made of thick cloth for people who do physical jobs

A piece of creative writing like a novel, poem, or play

light work
  • Informal
3 1.0

An easy task that takes little effort

scut work
  • Informal
3 8.1

Simple unpleasant tasks that no one wants to do

Very hard work that makes your back ache

wet work
  • Offensive
2 9.9

Secret killings and violent acts that governments or criminals carry out

2 2.3

A period of time when you are scheduled to work, for example morning or night

2 2.3

A table for doing a particular job, like sewing or woodwork

2 2.7

A strong shoe that protects your feet during hard work

A book you use to look up facts, not to read from start to finish

A system where students do paid part-time work and study to gain experience

A written story to be performed, like a play or screenplay

1 8.4

Tasks given mainly to keep someone busy instead of producing useful results

1 3.7

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

work-in
  • Archaic
1 7.7

Workers who stay at their workplace and keep working to protest closure or job cuts

work papers
  • Formal
1 4.3

Official documents that show a person may have a job, often for immigrants or young workers

1 4.1

A careful check of a job to find faster, easier ways to do it

1 8.2

Music for a small group of instruments with one player per part

sheet-metal work
  • Specialized
1 4.9

The job of shaping and joining thin metal sheets to make building parts like vents

1 3.5

Activities that help people who are poor or in need

1 2.8

A trained creature people use to pull and carry heavy loads like horses or oxen

1 3.2

A group of people who do a physical task together, like clearing fallen trees

Friendly relationships between people who work together that can cause problems

hot-work steel
  • Specialized
6.5

A type of metal that stays hard at high temperatures used to make cutting tools like drills

To manage a job and family life at the same time

para-legal work
  • Specialized
6.5

Work done by a person who is not a lawyer to help legal cases, like preparing documents and doing research

tool-and-die work
  • Specialized
8.1

Work of designing, making, and fixing metal tools and forms used to make parts

8.5

Not willing to do a job or make an effort

Clothes you wear for hard jobs that protect you and are strong

work flow
  • Specialized
3.5

The order and speed that tasks are done at work

work spouse
  • Informal
6.0

A close, supportive colleague you have a personal bond with that is not romantic

A social event an employer arranges for employees to celebrate and relax

work to rule
  • Literature
7.2

A protest where employees slow down by doing only required tasks

work unit
  • Specialized
5.2

A standard amount of energy used to measure work, for example the joule

work unit
  • Specialized
4.0

A small task sent to a computer to run with other tasks

A flat board that you use as a surface for sewing, carving, or other crafts

Clothes you wear to do physical work that are strong and protect you

Clothes people wear to protect them during physical work

How Skilled

to master
191 4.1
craft
556 3.7
to work
2.3
to tinker
47 4.5
to dabble
45 4.8

Surface Forms

work infinitive
worked past
worked past participle
working present participle
works third person singular

Etymology

Work comes from old German weorc meaning 'to make by effort', so to work the dough or clay is to shape it by using your hands and effort.