work

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English Vietnamese dictionary

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Advanced English dictionary

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verb, noun
+ verb
do job / task
1 ~ (at / on sth) to do sth that involves physical or mental effort, especially as part of a job: [V] I can't work if I'm cold. + I've been working at my assignment all day. + He is working on a new novel. + She's outside, working on the car. + [VN] Doctors often work very long hours.
2 [V] ~ (for sb/sth)
~ (as sth) to have a job: Both my parents work. + She works for an engineering company. + I've always worked in education. + Do you enjoy working with children? + My son is working as a science teacher.
make effort
3 [VN] to make yourself/sb work, especially very hard: She works herself too hard.
4 ~ (for sth) to make efforts to achieve sth: [V] She dedicated her life to working for peace. + [V to inf] The committee is working to get the prisoners freed. + The police and the public need to work together to combat crime.
manage
5 [VN] to manage or operate sth to gain benefit from it: to work the land (= grow crops on it, etc.) + He works a large area (= selling a company's goods, etc.). + (figurative) She was a skilful speaker who knew how to work a crowd (= to excite them or make them feel sth strongly).
machine / device
6 [V] to function; to operate: The phone isn't working. + It works by electricity. + Are they any closer to understanding how the brain works?
7 [VN] to make a machine, device, etc. operate: Do you know how to work the coffee machine? + The machine is worked by wind power.
have result / effect
8 [V] ~ (on sb/sth) to have the result or effect that you want: The pills the doctor gave me aren't working. + My plan worked, and I got them to agree. + His charm doesn't work on me (= does not affect or impress me).
9 [V +adv./prep.] to have a particular effect: Your age can work against you in this job. + Speaking Italian should work in his favour.
10 [VN] to cause or produce sth as a result of effort: You can work miracles with very little money if you follow our home decoration tips.
use material
11 [VN] ~ sth (into sth) to make a material into a particular shape or form by pressing, stretching, hitting it, etc: to work clay / dough + to work gold / iron + to work the mixture into a paste
12 [V] ~ (in / with sth) (of an artist, etc.) to use a particular material to produce a picture or other item: an artist working in oils + a craftsman working with wool
of part of face / body
13 [V] (written) to move violently: He stared at me in horror, his mouth working.
move gradually
14 to move or pass to a particular place or state, usually gradually: [V] It will take a while for the drug to work out of your system. + [VN] (figurative) He worked his way to the top of his profession. + [VN-ADJ] I was tied up, but managed to work myself free. + [V-ADJ] The screw had worked loose.
Idioms: Most idioms containing work are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example work your fingers to the bone is at finger.
work it / things (informal) to arrange sth in a particular way, especially by being clever: Can you work it so that we get free tickets?
Phrasal Verbs: work around / round to sth/sb to gradually turn a conversation towards a particular topic, subject, etc: It was some time before he worked around to what he really wanted to say.
work sth in
work sth into sth
1 to try to include sth: Can't you work a few more jokes into your speech?
2 to add one substance to another and mix them together: Gradually work in the butter.
work sth<->off
1 to get rid of sth, especially a strong feeling, by using physical effort: She worked off her anger by going for a walk.
2 to earn money in order to be able to pay a debt: They had a large bank loan to work off.
work out
1 to train the body by physical exercise: I work out regularly to keep fit.
related noun WORKOUT
2 to develop in a successful way: My first job didn't work out. + Things have worked out quite well for us.
work out (at sth) if sth works out at sth, you calculate that it will be a particular amount: [+ADJ] It'll work out cheaper to travel by bus.
work sb<->out to understand sb's character: I've never been able to work her out.
work sth<->out
1 to calculate sth: to work out the answer
2 to find the answer to sth; to solve sth: to work out a problem / puzzle / code + [+ wh-] Can you work out what these squiggles mean? + I couldn't work out where the music was coming from.
3 to plan or think of sth: I've worked out a new way of doing it.
4 [usually passive] to remove all the coal, minerals, etc. from a mine over a period of time: a worked-out silver mine
work sb<->over (slang) to attack sb and hit them, for example to make them give you information
work to sth to follow a plan, TIMETABLE, etc: to work to a budget + We're working to a very tight deadline (= we have little time in which to do the work).
work towards sth to try to reach or achieve a goal
work sth<->up to develop or improve sth with some effort: I can't work up any enthusiasm for his idea. + She went for a long walk to work up an appetite.
work sb / yourself up (into sth) to make sb/yourself reach a state of great excitement, anger, etc: Don't work yourself up into a state about it. It isn't worth it. + I can't get worked up about cars. + What are you so worked up about?
work sth up into sth to bring sth to a more complete or more satisfactory state: I'm working my notes up into a dissertation.
work up to sth to develop or move gradually towards sth, usually sth more exciting or extreme: The music worked up to a rousing finale. + I began by jogging in the park and worked up to running 5 miles a day.
+ noun
job / task
1 [U] the job that a person does especially in order to earn money
Synonym: EMPLOYMENT: (BrE) They are in work (= have a job). + (BrE, AmE) She had been out of work (= without a job) for a year. + He started work as a security guard. + It is difficult to find work in the present economic climate. + I'm still looking for work. + She's planning to return to work once the children start school. + What line of work are you in (= what type of work do you do)? + before / after work (= in the morning / evening each day) + full-time / part-time / unpaid / voluntary work
2 [U] the duties that you have and the activities that you do as part of your job: Police work is mainly routine. + The accountant described his work to the sales staff. + Students do work experience in local firms.
See also - PIECEWORK, SOCIAL WORK
3 [U] tasks that need to be done: There is plenty of work to be done in the garden. + I have some work for you to do. + Stop talking and get on with your work.
See also - HOMEWORK
4 [U] materials needed or used for doing work, especially books, papers, etc: She often brings work (= for example, files and documents) home with her from the office. + His work was spread all over the floor.
See also - PAPERWORK
place of job
5 [U] (used without the) the place where you do your job: I go to work at 8 o'clock. + When do you leave for work? + The new legislation concerns health and safety at work. + I have to leave work early today. + Her friends from work came to see her in the hospital.
effort
6 [U] the use of physical strength or mental power in order to do or make sth: She earned her grades through sheer hard work. + We started work on the project in 1998. + Work continues onrenovating the hotel. + The work of building the bridge took six months. + The art collection was his life's work. + She set them to work painting the fence. + They carried out pioneering work on the treatment of cancer.
See also - DONKEY WORK, FIELDWORK
product of work
7 [U] a thing or things that are produced as a result of work: She's an artist whose work I really admire. + Is this all your own work (= did you do it without help from others)? + The book is a detailed and thorough piece of work covering all aspects of the subject.
result of action
8 [U] the result of an action; what is done by sb: The damage is clearly the work of vandals.
book / music / art
9 [C] a book, piece of music, painting, etc: the collected / complete works of Tolstoy + works of fiction / literature + Beethoven's piano works + He recognized the sketch as an early work by Degas.
See also - WORK OF ART
Compare: OPUS
building / repairing
10 (works) [pl.] (often in compounds) activities involving building or repairing sth: roadworks + They expanded the shipyards and started engineering works. + A contract can ensure that landlords carry out the works for which they are legally responsible.
See also - PUBLIC WORKS
factory
11 (works) [C+sing./pl. v.] (often in compounds) a place where things are made or industrial processes are carried out: an engineering works + a brickworks + Raw materials were carried to the works by barge.
parts of machine
12 (the works) [pl.] the moving parts of a machine, etc.
Synonym: MECHANISM
everything
13 (the works) [pl.] (informal) everything: We went to the chip shop and had the works:
fish, chips, gherkins, mushy peas.
physics
14 [U] the use of force to produce movement
See also - JOULE
Idioms: at work
1 having an effect on sth: She suspected that secret influences were at work.
2 ~ (on sth) busy doing sth: He is still at work on the painting. + Danger-men at work.
get (down) to / set to work to begin; to make a start: We set to work on the outside of the house (= for example, painting it).
give sb the works (informal) to give or tell sb everything
good works kind acts to help others
go / set about your work to do/start to do your work: She went cheerfully about her work.
have your work cut out (informal) to be likely to have difficulty doing sth: You'll have your work cut out to get there by nine o'clock.
in the works something that is in the works is being discussed, planned or prepared and will happen or exist soon
the work of a moment, second, etc. (written) a thing that takes a very short time to do: It was the work of a few minutes to hide the damage.
more at DAY, DIRTY adj., HAND n., HARD adj., JOB, LIGHT adj., NASTY, NICE, SHORT adj., SPANNER
VOCABULARY BUILDING
a day's work
work [U] Looking after children all day is hard work.
job [C] I have a few jobs to do in the house this morning. + Writing this report is going to be a long job. + I've been given the enjoyable job of presenting the prizes.
task [C] We'll soon have robots performing simple everyday tasks. + The police face a very difficult task dealing with the increase in violent crime.
chore [C] the household chores + Don't turn reading into a chore for your kids.
assignment [C] I have three assignments to do by the end of term.
project [C] My next project is painting the living room.
labour [U] I was trained as a builder so I'm used to manual labour.
toil [U] (formal or literary) A lifetime of hard toil on the farm had made him look old and tired.
- note at JOB

Thesaurus dictionary

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n.

1 labour, toil, effort, drudgery, travail, exertion, industry:

Few people make it to the top and stay there without hard work.

2 employment, business, occupation, vocation, calling, profession, trade, line, métier, career, livelihood, job, post, position, situation:

Does your work as a test pilot interfere much with your home life?

3 task, function, duty, assignment, charge, responsibility, chore, commission, undertaking, stint:

When you are finished with that work, clean out the cellar.

4 feat, achievement, creation, accomplishment, opus, handiwork, oeuvre, production, composition, piece, master-work, masterpiece, chef-d'oeuvre, magnum opus, output:

Some of Edwin's recent works have won prizes.

5 in work. in production, under way, being done, in the works, being planned, in the planning stage(s):

The budget has been approved and the project is already in work.

6 out of work. unemployed, idle, jobless, at liberty, between engagements, available, free, Brit redundant, Colloq Brit on the dole, US on or collecting unemployment:

How long have you been out of work?

v.

7 labour, toil, exert oneself, sweat, moil, slave (away), peg away, slog (away):

His father worked in the mines from the age of nine till he died of black-lung disease at forty.

8 till, plough, farm, cultivate:

Would he have been healthier and longer-lived had he worked the land?

9 have a job, hold (down) a post or position, earn a living, be employed:

His wife works as a designer in a Parisian fashion house.

10 control, manage, manipulate, manoeuvre, wield, handle, operate, use, make use of, utilize, exploit, deal with, bring into play:

Are you sure you know how to work all those dials and buttons?

11 function, operate, run, go, develop, turn out, Colloq pan out:

Are you sure that the plan is working to your advantage?

12 function, operate, run, go:

The drill works better if you turn on the power.

13 knead, mould, form, fashion, shape; mix, stir, incorporate:

Work the clay into long, narrow strips. Try to work the colour in with your fingers..

14 manoeuvre, manipulate, guide:

See if you can work him over into a corner where you can grab him.

15 operate, use, employ, put to (good or effective) use, wield, manipulate, ply, apply, exploit:

Tanya must have worked her magic on Eustace to make him that docile.

16 bring about, effect, accomplish, carry out or off, make, produce, achieve, engender, beget, create, do, put through, execute, fulfil, effectuate, implement, realize:

I doubt that the new sports centre will work many changes in the area.

17 work in. find time or space for, include, insert, introduce, fit in, squeeze in, accommodate:

I'll try and work in your comments when I write up my report.

18 work on. wheedle, coax, importune, press, Brit pressurize, US pressure; influence, persuade, act on, prevail upon, induce, dispose, urge:

Keep working on him to try to change his mind.

19 work out.

(a) exercise, do callisthenics, do aerobics, warm up, do setting-up exercises, do (one's) daily dozen, jog, lift weights, train, drill:

I try to work out for an hour every day.

(b) Often, work out at or to. equal, total (up to), result in, amount to, come to:

Let's see - that works out at one car for every 4.7 people.

(c) clear up, resolve, solve, Slang Brit and New Zealand suss out:

Thaddeus is old enough to work out his own problems. Can they work out their differences?

(d) evolve, develop, succeed, prosper, come out all right, prove satisfactory, go well, be effective, Colloq pan out:

How can you be so sure that everything will work out?

(e) formulate, work up, contrive, draw up, detail, plan, develop, devise, put together, elaborate, expand, enlarge (on):

The captain worked out a way for them to escape.

20 work up.

(a) excite, make excited, agitate, inflame, enkindle, arouse, rouse, stir, move, animate, incite, spur, Colloq fire (up), get (someone) (all) steamed or hopped or het up:

Those fire-and-brimstone preachers used to get the people all worked up.

(b) prepare, (make or get) ready, whip into shape, develop, come up with, write up, put together, produce, turn out:

Can you work up that proposal in time for Monday's meeting?

(c) advance, ascend, rise, move up or ahead or on:

In no time at all, Greg worked his way up from assembler to foreman.

(d) See 19 (e), above.

worker

n.

labourer, working man or woman, workman, hand, employee, artisan, craftsman, tradesman, white-collar worker, blue-collar worker, proletarian, breadwinner, wage-earner:

It seems unlikely that the workers would strike for longer hours and less pay.

Collocation dictionary

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¹ effort/product of effort

ADJ.

hard

It's hard work trying to get him to do a few things for himself. It doesn't require skill?it's a matter of sheer hard work.

| arduous, back-breaking, challenging, complicated, demanding, difficult, gruelling, intensive, labour-intensive, tiring, tough

The show is the product of two years' intensive work.

| rewarding | heavy

They employ a couple of young men to do the heavy work.

| donkey

I did the donkey work (= hard work requiring little skill)but I hired a professional builder for the tricky bits.

| light

She's only allowed to do a little light work because of her bad arm.

| easy | close

I need to wear glasses for close work.

| physical | delicate | dangerous | dirty

Engine maintenance is dirty work. (figurative) The drugs gang used children to do their dirty work for them.

| humdrum, monotonous, repetitive, tedious | fascinating, interesting | purposeful

Many unemployed people welcome the chance to do purposeful work, even if unpaid.

| valuable

The research institute needs funds in order to carry on its valuable work.

| paid, unpaid | professional | men's, women's

They think that looking after children is women's work.

| intellectual, mental | creative, imaginative | practical

(see also

fieldwork

,

paperwork

)

| investigative | undercover

The scandal was revealed after months of undercover work by journalists.

| leg

(also

legwork)

Her job as a market researcher involves a lot of legwork (= walking around to collect information).

| course

(also

coursework

)

| written

His written work is the best in the class.

| individual | group | project | collaborative, joint

classroom activities involving collaborative work between children The report is the joint work of an economist and a sociologist.

| remedial

The poorly designed bridge needs remedial work to make it safe.

| background, preliminary, preparatory | follow-up | honest

He preferred to make his money from honest work ratherthan from gambling.

| good, nice

(informal),

outstanding, sterling

Nice work, James! I'm impressed.

In accepting the award, shementioned the sterling work of herassistants.

| careful, meticulous, painstaking | poor, shoddy, sloppy | charitable, humanitarian | community, youth | ground-breaking, innovative, pioneering

He didpioneering work on microbes. |

experimental | academic, commercial, educational, environmental, scientific | building, construction | your own

Is this all your own work (= did you do it without help from others)?

QUANT.

bit, piece

It was an interesting piece of work.

VERB + WORK

carry out, do, put in

All the construction work was carried out in 2001. I've got lots of work to do today. She's put in a lot of work on the design.

| get done, have done

I think I'd better try and get some work done. We're going to have some building work done on the house.

| produce

Work produced on a word processor tends to look more professional.

| get, have

We get far too much work at this time of year.

| take on, undertake

I've taken on more work than I've got time to do.

| create, make

Big football matches make a lot of work for the police.

| begin, commence, get down to, set about/to, start

They began work on the project towards the end of the year. Stop talking and get down to work. We set to work on the outside of the house (= for example, painting it).

| go about

She went cheerfully about her work.

| carry on, continue | complete, finish | halt, hold up, stop

Work on the project was halted.

| lose

They lost the work to a competitor.

| undo

The new president spent the first year undoing the work of his predecessor.

| oversee, supervise

The assistant

| set sb to

She set them to work painting the fence.

| require

To carry out accurate market research requires a huge amount of work.

| hand in

We're supposed to hand in this work tomorrow.

WORK + VERB

come

The work comes in bursts according to the time of year.

| wait

That work can wait until tomorrow.

| go

How's the work going this morning?

| involve sth

What does the work involve?

| begin, start | continue, go on | come to a standstill

Work came to a complete standstill when rumours of redundancies started to circulate.

| cost

How much will the work cost?

WORK + NOUN

ethic | rate

Her boss told her she had to increase her work rate.

| programme, schedule | surface

Work surfaces should be left clear and clean.

PREP.

at ~

He's been hard at work all morning.

| ~ on

I have to do some work on the engine before it'll be ready to drive.

| ~ with

She's done a lot of work with disadvantaged children.

PHRASES

a backlog of work

It will take a month to clear the backlog of work.

| keep up the good work

The hotel manager thanked the staff for their efforts so far and told them to keep up the good work.

| your life's work

The art collection was his life's work.

| make light/short work of sth

(= to do sth quickly and easily)Mike made short work of fixing the engine.

| never/not a stroke of work

She never does a stroke of work.

| pressure of work

Pressure of work forced him to cancel his holiday.

| work in progress

The showroom has been designed so that people can see work in progress.

² job

ADJ.

lucrative, well paid | badly paid | full-time, part-time | permanent | temporary | regular, steady

He hasn't been in regular work since he left school.

| casual

In the college vacations he does casual work in the local hospital.

| freelance | voluntary | skilled | semi-skilled | unskilled | manual | indoor, outdoor | daily, day-to-day, everyday, routine

People went about their daily work despite the war. Ambulance crews alternate between emergency and routine work.

| piece

It's piece work, so how much you earn depends on how fast you can work.

| administrative, clerical, office, secretarial | managerial | domestic | social | research | agricultural, farm | building | nice

(humorous) A hundred grand for two days a week? Nice work if you can get it!

VERB + WORK

have

He's got a bit of freelance work at the moment.

| look for

He got made redundant, so now he's looking for work again.

| find, get

Full-time work is hard to find.

| go to

I go to work on the bus.

| go out to

Some mothers of young children choose not to go out to work.

| start | finish, knock off

What time do you finish work?

| stop

She stops work at the end of this month.

| give up

Just before he was sixty, he decided to give up work.

| go back to, return to

She has just returned to work after the birth of her child.

| coordinate

Sales reps meet up monthly to coordinate their work.

WORK + VERB

go

Work's going well at the moment.

| start

What time does work start in the morning?

| finish

WORK + NOUN

hours

Employees must not make personal calls in work hours.

| place

(also

workplace

)

| area, environment, room

(also

workroom

)

| station

(also

workstation

)

| roster, schedule | experience

He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.

| permit | incentive

High income tax can undermine work incentives.

| practice

An independent report has described some work practices in the industry as old-fashioned.

PREP.

at ~

‘Where's Diane?’ ‘She's at work.’ We had a party at work.

| in (your) ~

With so much unemployment, I'm lucky to be in work. It's important to be happy in your work.

| off ~

She's been off work with a bad back since July.

| out of ~

He's been out of work since the factory closed.

| through ~

I met him through work.

PHRASES

a line of work

‘What line of work are you in?’ ‘Computing.’

| a place of work

³ book/music/art

ADJ.

classic, fine, great | definitive, seminal

Her book is still considered the definitive work on beetles.

| influential | erudite, scholarly | ambitious | literary | dramatic | critical | autobiographical, biographical | artistic | art

(also

artwork)

The artwork in the book is superb.

| abstract, figurative, graphic | choral, orchestral, piano | collected, complete

the collected works of Stephen King

| early | late, mature

Picasso's mature works

QUANT.

series | collection, exhibition

VERB + WORK

compose, produce, write

Beethoven composed his greatest works towards the end of his life.

| commission | perform, play | hear, read, see

Her work can be seen in most of the major European galleries.

| conduct, direct, edit, produce, publish, put on

Over the next two years, the theatre is putting on the complete works of Brecht.

| display, exhibit, show

The town hall is exhibiting works by local artists.

WORK + VERB

be called sth, be entitled sth

a work entitled‘Forward Pass’

PREP.

in a/the ~

She's studying the theme of death in the works of Beckett.

| ~ by

a work by an unknown eighteenth century writer

PHRASES

an exhibition of sb's work

The gallery is staging a special exhibition of Monet's early works.

| a work of art/fiction/literature

The building is hated by some and considered a work of art by others. (humorous) They discovered that his CV was a complete work of fiction.

| a work of genius <

Concise English dictionary

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wrought|works|worked|workingwɜrk /wɜːk
noun
+activity directed toward making or doing something
+a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing
+the occupation for which you are paid
+applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading)
+the total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it)
+a place where work is done
+(physics) a manifestation of energy; the transfer of energy from one physical system to another expressed as the product of a force and the distance through which it moves a body in the direction of that force
verb
+exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
+be employed
+have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected
+perform as expected when applied
+shape, form, or improve a material
+give a workout to
+proceed along a path
+operate in a certain place, area, or specialty
+proceed towards a goal or along a path or through an activity
+move in an agitated manner
+cause to happen or to occur as a consequence
+cause to work
+prepare for crops
+behave in a certain way when handled
+have and exert influence or effect
+operate in or through
+cause to operate or function
+provoke or excite
+gratify and charm, usually in order to influence
+make something, usually for a specific function
+move into or onto
+make uniform
+use or manipulate to one's advantage
+find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
+cause to undergo fermentation
+go sour or spoil
+arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion

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