WORK Synonyms: 457 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'work' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of work are drudgery , grind , labor , toil , and travail . While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force. // too tired to do any work

Q: In what contexts can 'drudgery' take the place of 'work'?

The meanings of drudgery and work largely overlap; however, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor. // an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

Q: When might 'grind' be a better fit than 'work'?

The synonyms grind and work are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body. // the grind of the assembly line

Q: When could 'labor' be used to replace 'work'?

The words labor and work are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion. // farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Q: When is 'toil' a more appropriate choice than 'work'?

The words toil and work can be used in similar contexts, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor. // his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

Q: When is it sensible to use 'travail' instead of 'work'?

Although the words travail and work have much in common, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering. // years of travail were lost when the house burned

work 1 of 2

verb

ˈwərk

Definition of work next

as in to cause

to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind) this new drug can really work wonders

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Relevance

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as in to solve

to find an answer for through reasoning finally figured out how to work the math problem

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as in to serve

to have a certain purpose the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

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as in to perform

to produce a desired effect this headache remedy takes half an hour to work

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to drive

to set or keep in motion this pump is worked by hand

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as in to operate

to control the mechanical operation of show me how to work the machine

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as in to struggle

to devote serious and sustained effort the organization has worked for years to raise people's awareness of human rights issues

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as in to use

to take unfair advantage of a young boy who worked his aunt for all she was worth in toys and candy when she visited once a year

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work

2 of 2

noun

as in composition

a literary, musical, or artistic production unfortunately, many of her works are now out of print

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as in production

something produced by physical or intellectual effort the new Web application is the work of a pair of young but highly gifted programmers

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as in job

the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists the work of a movie director is to tell a story through a series of striking images

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as in effort

the active use of energy in producing a result put a lot of work into the project

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in profession

the activity by which one regularly makes a living what line of work are you in?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in factory

works plural a building or set of buildings for the manufacturing of goods a glass works where high quality glassware is made

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun work contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of work are drudgery, grind, labor, toil, and travail. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

In what contexts can drudgery take the place of work?

The meanings of drudgery and work largely overlap; however, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than work?

The synonyms grind and work are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When could labor be used to replace work?

The words labor and work are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When is toil a more appropriate choice than work?

The words toil and work can be used in similar contexts, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When is it sensible to use travail instead of work?

Although the words travail and work have much in common, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of work

Verb

Reed’s ability to work with younger players also has come in handy this season. —

Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025 And this cast was so incredible, such great troopers, such a beautiful ensemble to work with. —

Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025

Noun

If your work is mostly behind the scenes, volunteer for cross-functional projects, stretch assignments, or leadership opportunities. —

Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2025 Bacon will partake in a career retrospective, looking back at his works from Footloose to the upcoming Amazon series The Bondsman. —

Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for work

Recent Examples of Synonyms for work

Verb

Neurologically, curiosity pulls our attention away from the mechanisms that cause anxiety, generating the beginning of the end of the spiral.

— Jessica DuLong, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025
Not Thinning Seedlings Failing to thin extra seedlings causes crowding and plant stress.

— Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2025