work
/wɜːk/ IELTSAcademic
noun
Work is activity you do to make money, or the place where you do your job. It can also mean effort on a task or the result of that effort.
- I start work at nine every morning.
- This report is good work.
verb
To work means to do a job, to do a task with effort, or to function properly. It can also mean to study or try to achieve a result.
- She works in a hospital.
- My phone is not working.
Adinary Nuance
Work is broader than job. A job is the position you have; work is the activity, effort, or tasks themselves. Compared with labor, work is more common and more neutral in everyday English.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- việc làm
- Spanish
- trabajo
- Chinese
- 工作
- Japanese
- 仕事
- Korean
- 일
Etymology
Old English work, from Proto-Germanic sources, related to German Werk. It has been in English since before the 12th century.
Common phrases
go to workwork from homehard workwork experience
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is work countable or uncountable?
- Usually, work is uncountable when it means a job or effort. You can say “a work” only in special cases, like art.
- What is the difference between work and job?
- A job is a position or role. Work is the activity, effort, or the place where you do your job.
- Can I say work for studying?
- Yes. You can say “work on” a subject, a skill, or a problem.