workman

/'wə:kmən/

Thân thiện

A workman repairs a wooden fence in a sunny backyard.

Definition

Noun: 1. A person employed to perform physical or skilled labor, especially in a trade or industry: A workman is typically a manual or industrial laborer, often possessing specific skills or training for a particular craft or task. 2. An employee engaged in practical work, often involving the use of tools or machinery: This term emphasizes the hands-on, practical nature of the job, distinguishing it from administrative or purely intellectual work.

Usage and Examples

• As a general term for a skilled laborer:
  • The workman arrived early to fix the broken pipe.
  • A team of workmen was hired to build the new shed.
• Referring to a person's skill or quality of work:
  • A bad workman always blames his tools. (This is a common proverb.)
  • He is a conscientious workman, always taking pride in his craft.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• The term often implies a degree of skill, training, or membership in a trade (e.g., carpenter, electrician, plumber), though it can also refer to general laborers.
• "Workmanlike" (adjective): Describes something done with competent, efficient skill but without exceptional artistry or inspiration.
  • The repair was workmanlike and solid, if not beautiful.
• The plural form is workmen. In modern, gender-neutral contexts, terms like worker, laborer, technician, or the specific job title (e.g., carpenter) are often preferred.

Variants and Related Words

• Workmanlike (adj): Competent and efficient but not outstanding or inspired.
• Workmanship (n): The degree of skill with which a product is made or a job is done.
  • The excellent workmanship is evident in the fine details of the cabinet.

Synonyms

• Laborer: A person doing unskilled manual work.
• Artisan: A worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.
• Craftsman: A person who is skilled in a particular craft.
• Tradesman: A person engaged in a trade, typically requiring skilled manual labor.
• Technician: A person skilled in the technical aspects of a field.

Idioms and Phrases

• "A bad workman blames his tools": A proverb meaning that someone who is unskilled often blames their equipment for their poor results, rather than their own lack of ability.
• "A workman is known by his work": The quality of a person's work reveals their character and skill.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an employee who performs manual or industrial labor

Từ đồng nghĩa

• workingman
• working man
• working person