work

Verb

• arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion
  • The stitches of the hem worked loose after she wore the skirt many times
    

• go sour or spoil
  • The milk has soured
    
  • The wine worked
    
  • The cream has turned--we have to throw it out
    

• cause to undergo fermentation
  • We ferment the grapes for a very long time to achieve high alcohol content
    
  • The vintner worked the wine in big oak vats
    

• find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
  • did you solve the problem?
    
  • Work out your problems with the boss
    
  • this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out
    
  • did you get it?
    
  • Did you get my meaning?
    
  • He could not work the math problem
    

• use or manipulate to one's advantage
  • He exploit the new taxation system
    
  • She knows how to work the system
    
  • he works his parents for sympathy
    

• make uniform
  • knead dough
    
  • work the clay until it is soft
    

• move into or onto
  • work the raisins into the dough
    
  • the student worked a few jokes into his presentation
    
  • work the body onto the flatbed truck
    

• make something, usually for a specific function
  • She molded the rice balls carefully
    
  • Form cylinders from the dough
    
  • shape a figure
    
  • Work the metal into a sword
    

• gratify and charm, usually in order to influence
  • the political candidate worked the crowds
    

• provoke or excite
  • The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy
    

• cause to operate or function
  • This pilot works the controls
    
  • Can you work an electric drill?
    

• operate in or through
  • Work the phones
    

• have and exert influence or effect
  • The artist's work influenced the young painter
    
  • She worked on her friends to support the political candidate
    

• behave in a certain way when handled
  • This dough does not work easily
    
  • The soft metal works well
    

• prepare for crops
  • Work the soil
    
  • cultivate the land
    

• cause to work
  • he is working his servants hard
    

• cause to happen or to occur as a consequence
  • I cannot work a miracle
    
  • wreak havoc
    
  • bring comments
    
  • play a joke
    
  • The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area
    

• move in an agitated manner
  • His fingers worked with tension
    

• proceed towards a goal or along a path or through an activity
  • work your way through every problem or task
    
  • She was working on her second martini when the guests arrived
    
  • Start from the bottom and work towards the top
    

• operate in a certain place, area, or specialty
  • She works the night clubs
    
  • The salesman works the Midwest
    
  • This artist works mostly in acrylics
    

• proceed along a path
  • work one's way through the crowd
    
  • make one's way into the forest
    

• give a workout to
  • Some parents exercise their infants
    
  • My personal trainer works me hard
    
  • work one's muscles
    
  • this puzzle will exercise your mind
    

• shape, form, or improve a material
  • work stone into tools
    
  • process iron
    
  • work the metal
    

• perform as expected when applied
  • The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in
    
  • Does this old car still run well?
    
  • This old radio doesn't work anymore
    

• have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected
  • The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought
    
  • How does your idea work in practice?
    
  • This method doesn't work
    
  • The breaks of my new car act quickly
    
  • The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water
    

• be employed
  • Is your husband working again?
    
  • My wife never worked
    
  • Do you want to work after the age of 60?
    
  • She never did any work because she inherited a lot of money
    
  • She works as a waitress to put herself through college
    

• exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
  • I will work hard to improve my grades
    
  • she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor
    

Noun

• the total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it)
  • he studied the entire Wagnerian oeuvre
    
  • Picasso's work can be divided into periods
    

• a place where work is done
  • he arrived at work early today
    

• (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
  • work equals force times distance
    

• applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading)
  • mastering a second language requires a lot of work
    
  • no schools offer graduate study in interior design
    

• the occupation for which you are paid
  • he is looking for employment
    
  • a lot of people are out of work
    

• a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing
  • it is not regarded as one of his more memorable works
    
  • the symphony was hailed as an ingenious work
    
  • he was indebted to the pioneering work of John Dewey
    
  • the work of an active imagination
    
  • erosion is the work of wind or water over time
    

• activity directed toward making or doing something
  • she checked several points needing further work
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  sour , turn , ferment , solve , work out , figure out , puzzle out , lick , exploit , knead , shape , form , mold , mould , forge , influence , act upon , cultivate , crop , put to work , bring , play , wreak , make for , make , exercise , work on , process , function , operate , go , run , act , do work , oeuvre , body of
• Antonyms: 
  malfunction , misfunction , idle , laze , slug , stagnate