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Glite Dictionary
to work it

to work it

89 8.4
To act with confidence and skill to attract other people's attention
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : lucirse
  • Yeah, work it out a little bit.
  • try to work it
  • let me work it
  • going to work it

Examples

  • Look, I don't know what's going on with you two but I'm sure you'll work it out.

    The Wedding Date (2005)

  • IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT.

    Julia (2008)

  • I mean, listen, I need to work it here, OK?

  • Are you sure you know how to work it?

    Lost at Christmas (2020)

  • But Bryce knows how to work it and maintain success.

  • She danced confidently at the party, really knowing how to work it on the dance floor.

  • During the presentation, he knew how to work it, captivating the audience with his charm.

  • To impress his friends at the talent show, he decided to work it with an amazing performance.

Synonyms

to show off
vsto work it
  • Informal
216 3.2

To act proudly to get attention or praise

is confident skillful performance without the proud or boastful attitude
to steal the show
vsto work it
  • Informal
14 3.7

To get the most attention or praise at an event

is confident attractive performance but not necessarily the main attention
to work one's magic
vsto work it
  • Informal
6 6.1

To make something much better using skill and new ideas

is confident attractive performance rather than narrowly skill based tricks
to strut one's stuff
vsto work it
  • Informal
3 7.7

To confidently show your skills or style to impress people

is about performing attractively rather than mainly showing off abilities
to show out
vsto work it
  • Informal
7.4

Act in a loud way to get attention and impress people

is stylish confident performance rather than loudly extravagant display
to come it strong
vsto work it
  • UK
9.9

Speak or act in a strong, confident way, often bragging

is a confident attractive performance rather than forceful or exaggerated behavior

Antonyms

to underperform
20 5.3

To do worse than expected or needed

to fail to impress
2 4.1

Not make people think something is good or special

How Confident

to show off
  • Informal
216 3.2
to own it
  • Informal
43 7.0
to work it
  • Informal
89 8.4
pose
71 4.1

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

work + it

The verb 'work' conveys performing or using effort and 'it' functions as a vague pronoun/dummy object, so a learner might infer a general sense of 'do it' or 'perform'. However, the specific pragmatic/colloquial sense of 'perform in a confident, skillful, or sexually/visually attractive way to impress others' is an idiomatic, register-sensitive extension that is not fully predictable from the constituents alone. Because part of the meaning is inferable but the nuanced performative/affective sense requires exposure, the expression is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

The phrase work it comes from models and performers who would show off a look or move on stage. Here, work means 'use well' and it means your look or pose, so work it came to mean 'perform confidently to impress others'.