employ
gb/ɪmplˈɔɪ/ us/ɪmplˈɔɪ/
A2
Inglês
~ 1300
Aceções
0 aceções
Verbo
A2
action
1
Hire someone for a job
To pay someone to do a job for you.
Padrão de uso:
to employ [someone] as [a job]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse 'employ' with 'apply'. 'Employ' means to give someone a job, not to ask for one.
Sinónimos
hire (More common in everyday speech; 'employ' is slightly more formal.)
Antónimos
fire (Means to remove someone from their job, the opposite of hiring.)
Colocações
employ staff
|employ workers
|employ a manager
|employ skilled labor
Temas
business
|work
|employment
Exemplos
- The company plans to employ 50 new workers this year.
- We decided to employ her as our office manager.
- Many factories in the area employ migrant labor.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- My father employs ten people in his shop.
- They employ a new teacher every year.
- The hotel employs many students in the summer.
Verbo
B1
action
2
Use something effectively
To use something like a plan, skill, or tool to do something.
Padrão de uso:
to employ [a method/technique/tool]
Erro comum:
Learners may overuse 'employ' instead of simpler 'use' in informal contexts, making speech sound unnatural.
Sinónimos
use ('Use' is more common and general; 'employ' is more formal or deliberate.)
Antónimos
ignore (To not make use of something when it could be used.)
Colocações
employ a strategy
|employ force
|employ technology
Temas
general
|methods
|problem-solving
|core_vocabulary
|work
Exemplos
- The teacher employed several new techniques to help the students learn.
- We must employ all available resources to complete the project on time.
- The artist employed bright colors to create a cheerful mood.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- He employed a new way to fix the car.
- We employed a map to find the park.
- She employed her skills to make the cake.
Nome
formal
C1
state
3
State of being employed by someone
The state of working for someone and getting paid.
Erro comum:
Learners may confuse this rare noun form with the verb form; it's mostly used in formal or legal contexts.
Sinónimos
employment ('Employment' is more common; 'employ' as a noun is rare and formal.)
Antónimos
unemployment (The state of not having paid work.)
Colocações
in someone's employ
|remain in employ
Temas
business
|work
Exemplos
- She has been in the company's employ for over ten years.
- During his employ at the firm, he developed several successful projects.
- Few people remain in the long-term employ of one organization today.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- He is in the employ of a bank.
- She stayed in their employ for five years.
- I was in his employ last year.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
employ
IPA
GB/ɪmplˈɔɪ/
US/ɪmplˈɔɪ/
Sílabas e acento
em - ploy (2 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ploy)
Formas da palavra
Verb
- Base: employ
- 3rd Person Singular: employs
- Present Participle: employing
- Past: employed
Família de palavras
Forms
employs
verb
employing
verb
employed
verb
Core family
Related words
employable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unemployed
adjective B1
unemployment
noun B1
Advanced or less common
employability
noun
Expressões
gainful employment
1/ɡˈeɪnfəl ɪmplˈɔɪmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
Paid work that provides income
A job that pays you enough to live on.
Exemplos
- After months of searching, he finally found gainful employment.
- Many graduates struggle to secure gainful employment after college.
in someone's employ
1/ˈɪn sˈʌmwˌʌnz ɪmplˈɔɪ/
fixed phrase
formal
Working for someone
Working for and being paid by someone.
Exemplos
- She has been in the company's employ for over a decade.
- During his time in their employ, he learned valuable skills.