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Definitions

work

[wurk] / wɜrk /








Usage

What are other ways to say work? Work is the general word for exertion of body or mind, and it may apply to exertion that is either easy or hard: fun work; heavy work. Drudgery suggests continuous, dreary, and dispiriting work, especially of a menial or servile kind: the drudgery of household tasks. Labor particularly denotes hard manual work: backbreaking labor; arduous labor. Toil suggests wearying or exhausting labor: toil that breaks down the worker's health.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

More devastatingly, he feels the commercialisation of the initiative overshadowed the deep, psychological work that is desperately needed for locals as well as "returning" members of the diaspora.

From BBC Aug. 16, 2026

Builders in Dendermonde, Belgium, discovered $10 million worth of gold bars and coins during construction work at the site of an old brewery.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 16, 2026

So, on Sept. 25, 1974, Jobe took a tendon from John’s right arm, threaded it through holes he had drilled in John’s left elbow and hoped it all would work.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 16, 2026

But what some perceive as a negative makes the Green Lantern legend appealing to others, especially those driven to ascend through ambition and hard work.

From Salon Aug. 16, 2026

I’d put in eight hours at work, part of Sandy June’s early-morning prep crew before we opened at eleven.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Part of Ferrell’s man-child trilogy with Adam McKay, the film follows a blowhard racecar driver as he works his way back to the winner’s circle following a dramatic and embarrassing wreck.

From Salon Aug. 16, 2026

The incident is the latest in a string of museum heists across Europe that have led to a growing number of priceless works disappearing from public view.

From BBC Aug. 16, 2026

At a low dose, the drug primarily works by reducing several harmful compensatory responses that occur when the heart is struggling.

From Science Daily Aug. 16, 2026

Victor Medina, founder of Palante Wealth Advisors, works with his clients to create buckets of funds, including a “great life” bucket for things like travel.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 15, 2026

“Use them, ignore them, whatever works for you,” she says.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Torossian told the BBC that Mason had worked in the building trade in Sweden, and used to make remote control cars for his family.

From BBC Aug. 16, 2026

Cafritz lost most of her collection in a 2009 fire but worked tirelessly to build a new one in the years prior to her death in 2018.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 16, 2026

Yaw Asare, now a Ghanaian PhD student at Howard University, previously worked within the President of Ghana's Diaspora Office, which ran the campaign.

From BBC Aug. 16, 2026

“We worked tirelessly to win this union, spending thousands of hours, calling, texting and meeting our fellow drivers all across the state,” Fresno-based rideshare driver Vikaas Shanker said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 15, 2026

The moonlight off the snow in the cold air was so bright and flat white you could have read a book, and the dogs worked wonderfully in the cold.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Hardwood floors run throughout the property, including in the bedrooms, save for the entryway which features a terracotta tile and a wrought iron staircase leading up to the second level.

From MarketWatch Jul. 23, 2026

A toxic dump that humans couldn’t see or smell wrought perhaps the worst damage on the ocean in one place from a single poison.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 15, 2026

After two major earthquakes hit Venezuela on Wednesday, aerial footage has revealed the destruction wrought in the coastal city of La Guaira.

From BBC Jun. 26, 2026

In a universe where betrayal is a common currency, the bond that develops between Dunk and Egg is absolutely magical, although not entirely wrought from thin air.

From Salon Jun. 20, 2026

We could hear the whoops and hollers and splashing as soon as we walked up the driveway to a wrought iron gate standing ajar as if it were personally saying, Come on in.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

A government spokesperson said the alert was sent "after a direct request from fire and rescue services" and it was working closely with domestic abuse charities for tests of the system.

From BBC Aug. 16, 2026

Ricky Bobby spends the rest of his life attempting to follow in his father’s tire tracks, working his way up to be in the big show but not a star.

From Salon Aug. 16, 2026

One consequence of all this consolidation is fewer physicians working in private practice—42% in 2024, down from 60% in 2012.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 16, 2026

"Stiffening the joint makes walking safer, but it also means the muscles are working harder without generating as much forward movement," he says.

From Science Daily Aug. 16, 2026

We spent all the rest of that day poring over Peter’s map, making plans, working out how far we could hope to travel each night.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo




Vocabulary lists containing work


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