work
gb/wˈɚk/ us/wˈɚk/
A1
English
~ 200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
action
1
Employment or job duties
A job or tasks you do to earn money or because it is your duty.
Usage pattern:
[someone] goes to work
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'work' (uncountable when meaning employment) with 'a work' (countable, meaning a piece of art or creation).
Synonyms
job (Refers to a specific position or role, while 'work' can be more general.)
Antonyms
leisure (Refers to free time without duties or employment.)
Collocations
go to work
|at work
|find work
|work experience
|work schedule
Themes
business
|daily life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She found work as a graphic designer.
- I can't meet you tomorrow because I have too much work.
- After graduating, he started looking for work in the city.
- Work has been very stressful this month.
- Many people now work from home.
Learner examples
- I go to work every day.
- She is looking for work.
- He has a lot of work today.
- My work starts at 9 a.m.
- She likes her work.
Verb
A1
action
2
Do tasks for job or goal
To do a job or make an effort to do something.
Usage pattern:
to work [at/on] [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'work' with a direct object incorrectly, e.g., 'I work my homework' instead of 'I do my homework'.
Synonyms
labor (More formal and often physical in emphasis.)
Antonyms
rest (To stop working and relax.)
Collocations
work hard
|work on a project
|work overtime
|work together
|work from home
Themes
business
|daily life
|work
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She works at a law firm in New York.
- We are working on a new product.
- He works hard to support his family.
- They worked all night to finish the report.
- I usually work from home on Fridays.
Learner examples
- I work in a bank.
- She works at a school.
- We work together on the project.
- He works hard every day.
- I work from home.
Noun
B1
entity
3
Product of creativity or effort
Something made by a person using skill or effort, like a book, song, or painting.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'works' (plural) meaning creations with 'work' meaning employment.
Synonyms
creation (Emphasizes the act of bringing something into existence.)
Antonyms
destruction (The act of ruining or eliminating something created.)
Collocations
literary work
|artistic work
|complete works
|master work
Themes
art
|education
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- This painting is considered his best work.
- The museum has many works by Picasso.
- Her latest work is a novel about family life.
- Shakespeare's works are studied worldwide.
Learner examples
- This book is his best work.
- I like the works of Mozart.
- She showed me her art work.
- This is a famous work of art.
Verb
A2
action
4
Function or operate correctly
To be in good condition and do what it should do.
Synonyms
function (More formal; emphasizes purpose and design.)
Antonyms
fail (To stop functioning correctly.)
Collocations
work well
|work properly
|stop working
Themes
technology
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The elevator isn't working today.
- This phone works better than my old one.
- Does your computer still work?
- The remote control works only if you change the batteries.
Learner examples
- My phone does not work.
- The TV works well.
- This machine works fast.
- The light does not work.
Verb
B1
action
5
Cause something to happen by effort
To make something happen by trying or using influence.
Usage pattern:
to work [something] out / to work towards [something]
Synonyms
achieve (Focuses more on reaching an end result than the process.)
Antonyms
neglect (To fail to put in effort towards an outcome.)
Collocations
work out a problem
|work towards a goal
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
|work
Examples
- They worked out a solution to the conflict.
- She is working towards her degree in engineering.
- We can work this plan into our schedule.
Learner examples
- We worked out the answer.
- She works hard to be a doctor.
- They worked to make the plan succeed.
Grammar
Dictionary form
work
IPA
GB/wˈɚk/
US/wˈɚk/
Syllables & stress
work (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (work)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: work
- Plural: work, works
Verb
- Base: work
- 3rd Person Singular: works
- Present Participle: working
- Past: worked
Word family
Forms
works
noun
working
verb
worked
verb
Negative and opposite forms
unworkable
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
Expressions
at work
1/ˈæt wˈɚk/
fixed phrase
Doing your job at workplace
At your place of job doing your tasks.
Examples
- She is at work right now and can't talk.
- I'll call you later when I'm not at work.
in the works
1/ˈɪn ðə wˈɚks/
idiom
informal
In process of being prepared/made
Being planned, prepared, or created but not finished yet.
Examples
- A new policy is in the works.
- There are several projects in the works right now.
make something work
1/mˈeɪk sˈʌmθɪŋ wˈɚk/
fixed phrase
Cause something to succeed/function well despite problems
To make something succeed or operate well even if it is hard.
Examples
- We had some problems but managed to make the plan work.
- She made the old car work again.
work on
1/wˈɚk ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
Make effort to improve/create something
To try to make something better or create it by giving time and energy.
Examples
- He is working on his presentation for tomorrow.
- They are working on building a new bridge.
work out
1/wˈɚk ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Solve or understand something by thinking
To find an answer or understand something by thinking about it.
Examples
- We need to work out how much it will cost.
- It took me an hour to work out the problem.
work out
7/wˈɚk ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
exercise
To do physical exercise, often at a gym or at home.
Examples
- I work out at the gym before work.
- She started working out to feel stronger.
- If you don't have equipment, you can work out at home.