out of work
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: - Not having a job; unemployed: The phrase describes the state of a person who is able and willing to work but does not currently have a paid job.
Usage
The phrase "out of work" is used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb like 'be'). It is a common, slightly formal way to describe unemployment. - Attributive use: An out-of-work actor. - Predicative use: He has been out of work for six months.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- The phrase can describe a temporary, seasonal, or prolonged state of unemployment.
- It often carries a neutral or sympathetic tone, focusing on the condition rather than the cause.
Variants and Related Words
- Unemployed (adj): The more standard, formal synonym for not having a job.
- Jobless (adj): Very similar in meaning to "out of work," often used in official or statistical contexts (e.g., ).
- Idle (adj): Can mean "unemployed" but often implies a lack of activity or purpose, not just the absence of a job.
Synonyms
- Unemployed
- Jobless
- Between jobs (euphemistic)
- Laid off (specific cause)
- Redundant (specific cause, common in UK English)
Related Phrases
- Out of a job: A very close synonym, often used interchangeably.
- He found himself out of a job after the company downsized.
Adjective
- not having a job
- idle carpenters
- jobless transients
- many people in the area were out of work