Definitions

workaday

[wur-kuh-dey] / ˈwɜr kəˌdeɪ /

ADJECTIVE

businesslike

Synonyms

STRONGEST

diligent disciplined earnest expeditious matter-of-fact methodical orderly practical purposeful serious thorough

WEAK

accomplished careful concentrated correct direct effective enterprising hardworking industrious intent organized painstaking practiced regular routine sedulous skillful systematic well-ordered

Antonyms

STRONGEST

disorganized flippant thoughtless trivial unimportant unserious

WEAK

amateur inefficient unbusinesslike unprofessional

ADJECTIVE

common

Synonyms

STRONGEST

accepted commonplace everyday familiar frequent natural prevailing prevalent routine simple trivial typical universal

STRONG

bourgeois characteristic current daily general humdrum plain probable regular standard stock

WEAK

banal casual colloquial comformable conventional customary habitual hackneyed homely informal mediocre monotonous passable prosaic run-of-the-mill stale stereotyped trite undistinguished unvaried usual wearisome worn-out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abnormal different exceptional infrequent irregular peculiar rare uncommon unconventional unfamiliar unorthodox unusual

STRONG

extraordinary original

WEAK

aristocratic cultured excellent high noble noteworthy refined scarce sophisticated superior valuable

ADJECTIVE

commonplace

Synonyms

STRONGEST

customary mundane normal obvious prevalent typical

STRONG

familiar humdrum mainstream middling natural ordinary pedestrian plebeian starch vanilla

WEAK

boiler plate characterless clichéd colorless conventional corny dime-a-dozen familiar tune garden variety hackneyed lowly matter-of-course mediocre middle-of-the-road prosaic run-of-the-mill stale stereotyped threadbare trite uneventful unexceptional uninteresting unnoteworthy widespread worn-out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abnormal different irregular rare uncommon unconventional unusual

STRONG

exceptional extraordinary

WEAK

infrequent peculiar

ADJECTIVE

everyday

Synonyms

STRONGEST

commonplace frequent mundane normal ordinary prosaic usual

WEAK

accustomed average conventional customary daily dime a dozen dull familiar garden variety habitual informal lowly mainstream middle-of-the-road per diem plain quotidian routine run-of-the-mill stock unexceptional unimaginative unremarkable vanilla white-bread wonted

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abnormal extraordinary infrequent irregular rare uncommon unusual

WEAK

different exceptional special unexpected unfamiliar

ADJECTIVE

familiar

Synonyms

STRONGEST

intimate mundane recognizable simple usual

STRONG

commonplace domestic homespun household native natural ordinary plain routine stock

WEAK

accustomed conventional customary everyday frequent garden variety habitual humble informal known matter-of-fact old hat prosaic proverbial repeated unceremonious unsophisticated wonted

Antonyms

STRONG

abnormal alien business different extraordinary foreign industrial original uncommon unusual

WEAK

aloof cold cool distant ignorant new reserved strange unacquainted unapproachable undistinguished unfamiliar unfriendly unknowledgeable unknown unremarkable

ADJECTIVE

mundane

Synonyms

STRONGEST

banal day-to-day everyday humdrum normal prosaic

WEAK

commonplace earthly lowly routine workday worldly

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abnormal uncommon unusual

WEAK

exciting extraordinary heavenly supernatural wonderful

ADJECTIVE

ordinary

Synonyms

STRONGEST

common conventional dull generic humble mediocre normal plain simple unremarkable

STRONG

commonplace fair familiar garden homespun household inferior mean pedestrian plastic routine vanilla

WEAK

characterless garden variety habitual indifferent modest no great shakes prosaic quotidian run-of-the-mill second-rate so-so stereotyped undistinguished uneventful unexceptional uninspired unmemorable unnoteworthy unpretentious usual white-bread

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abnormal complex complicated decorated difficult embellished extraordinary intelligent intricate irregular ornate smart sophisticated strange superior unclear uncommon unconventional unusual

STRONG

different exceptional

WEAK

distinctive remarkable special

ADJECTIVE

plain

Synonyms

STRONGEST

conventional dull ordinary simple traditional

STRONG

average common commonplace routine vanilla

WEAK

homely lowly modest quotidian usual white-bread

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abnormal different intelligent irregular new smart uncommon unusual

STRONG

exceptional extraordinary infrequent rare

WEAK

abstruse ambiguous attractive beautiful complex complicated decorated difficult dressed-up embellished formal hidden imperceptible incomprehensible intricate obscure obscured ornate pretty unclear vague

ADJECTIVE

practical

Synonyms

STRONGEST

businesslike constructive down-to-earth efficient factual feasible functional possible practicable pragmatic rational reasonable sane sensible sober workable

WEAK

applied both feet on the ground commonsensical doable empirical experimental handy hard-boiled implicit in action in operation matter-of-fact nuts and bolts operative orderly serviceable solid sound systematic unidealistic unromantic usable utile utilitarian virtual working

Antonyms

STRONGEST

excited impossible impractical inefficient irrational unattainable unfeasible unlikely unrealistic unreasonable unsound unworkable

WEAK

incapable inexperienced unproficient unseasoned unserviceable unskilled untrained useless worthless

ADJECTIVE

prosaic

Synonyms

STRONGEST

banal drab everyday humdrum mundane

WEAK

actual blah boring clean colorless common commonplace dead diddly dry dull factual flat garden-variety hackneyed ho-hum irksome lackluster lifeless literal lowly lusterless matter-of-fact monotonous nothing nowhere ordinary pabulum pedestrian platitudinous plebeian practicable practical prose prosy routine square stale tame tedious trite uneventful unexceptional uninspiring vanilla vapid yawn zero

Antonyms

STRONGEST

exciting unusual

WEAK

creative imaginative interesting thinking

ADJECTIVE

routine

Synonyms

STRONGEST

conventional everyday normal ordinary periodic regular unremarkable usual

STRONG

familiar general plain seasonal standard

WEAK

accepted accustomed chronic customary methodical quotidian typical wonted

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abnormal different eccentric extraordinary irregular special strange uncommon unconventional unusual variable

WEAK

breaking original untraditional

ADJECTIVE

usual

Synonyms

STRONGEST

constant conventional current customary everyday expected familiar frequent natural normal prevailing regular routine

WEAK

accepted accustomed average chronic commonplace cut-and-dried fixed garden variety general grind habitual mainstream matter-of-course ordinary plain plastic prevalent quotidian rife run-of-the-mill so-so standard stock typic unremarkable vanilla white-bread wonted

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abnormal different eccentric foreign inconstant infrequent irregular new occasional original rare strange uncommon unconventional unfamiliar unsteady unusual

WEAK

atypical

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.

Workaday rigs are needed for jobs like data loading and storage management.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Workaday solar wind would pose a health risk only to astronauts traveling outside Earth's protective magnetic field, to deep-space locations such as the moon or Mars.

From Science Magazine • Aug. 1, 2018

One of the success stories is Forrest Lewinger, 31, whose studio, Workaday Handmade, produces cups with marbleized glazes, earthy bowls with hand-carved geometric patterns, and ivory-colored vases with a confetti-like spatter of blue.

From New York Times • Dec. 16, 2015

Workaday TV shows, procedurals, sitcoms, long-running dramas, change showrunners all the time.

From Salon • May 17, 2012

"Workaday" copies of books would be made as well, in comparatively large numbers, and would no doubt be used very freely.

From Old English Libraries by Savage, Ernest Albert

workaday

Example Sentences

Related Words