to do something that involves physical or mental effort, especially as part of a job
I can't work if I'm cold.
The kids always work hard at school.
work on something The whole team is currently working on the project.
He is working on a new novel.
She's outside, working on the car.
work at something I've been working at my assignment all day.
work with somebody Work with a partner to solve the problem.
We work closely with clients to develop specific solutions.
+ noun Doctors often work very long hours.
He works shifts at a metal plant.
to have a job
Both my parents work.
to work in an office/a factory
work for somebody/something She works for an engineering company.
My father wants me to work for him when I leave school.
work in something I've always worked in education.
He worked in the oil industry for twenty years.
work with somebody/something Do you enjoy working with children?
work as something My son is working as a teacher.
to make efforts to achieve something
work for something She dedicated her life to working for peace.
work to do something The committee is working to get the prisoners freed.
work together We have proved that different groups can work harmoniously together.
work together to do something The police and the public need to work together to combat crime.
to make yourself/somebody work, especially very hard
She works herself too hard.
He says they're working him hard.
to function; to operate
The printer isn't working.
How does the device actually work?
Are they any closer to understanding how the brain works?
work by something It works by electricity.
work by doing something The filtration process works by physically removing the contaminants from the water.
to make a machine, device, etc. operate
Do you know how to work the coffee machine?
The machine is worked by wind power.
to have the result or effect that you want
The pills the doctor gave me aren't working.
My plan worked, and I got them to agree.
The system seemed to work well.
Everything worked very smoothly.
work on somebody/something His charm doesn't work on me (= does not affect or impress me).
to have a particular effect
work against somebody Your age can work against you in this job.
work in somebody’s favour Speaking Italian should work in his favour.
to manage or operate something to gain benefit from it
to work the land (= grow crops on it, etc.)
Boys who didn't go to school worked the land with their fathers.
He works a large area (= selling a company's goods, etc.).
You have to learn how to work the system if you want to succeed.
(figurative) She was a skilful speaker who knew how to work a crowd (= to excite them or make them feel something strongly).
to make a material into a particular shape or form by pressing, stretching, hitting it, etc.
work something to work clay
to work gold
work something into something to work the mixture into a paste
to use a particular material to produce a picture or other item
an artist working in oils
a craftsman working with wool
to move violently
He stared at me in horror, his mouth working.
to move or pass to a particular place or state, usually gradually
+ adv./prep. It will take a while for the drug to work out of your system.
to arrange something in a particular way, especially by being clever
Can you work it so that we get free tickets?
the job that a person does especially in order to earn money
He started work as a security guard.
I'm still looking for work.
It is difficult to find work in the present economic climate.
She's planning to return to work once the children start school.
full-time/part-time/unpaid/voluntary work
out of work She had been out of work (= without a job) for a year.
in work (British English) They are in work (= have a job).
What line of work are you in (= what type of work do you do)?
off work She's been off work (= not going to work) with a bad back since July.
the place where you do your job; the time that you spend there
I go to work at 8 o'clock.
I was late for work again.
I have to leave work early today.
Her friends from work came to see her in the hospital.
I get on well with my work colleagues.
a pleasant work environment
at work The new legislation concerns health and safety at work.
before/after work I like to go for a run after work.
the duties that you have and the activities that you do as part of your job
Police work is mainly routine.
The accountant described his work to the sales staff.
tasks that need to be done
Taking care of a baby is hard work.
Whenever am I going to do all this work?
There is plenty of work to be done in the garden.
Stop talking and get on with your work.
He completed the work shortly before his death.
important work being undertaken by volunteers
Big football matches make a lot of work for the police.
materials needed or used for doing work, especially books, papers, etc.
She often brings work (= for example, files and documents) home with her from the office.
His work was spread all over the floor.
the use of physical strength or mental power in order to do or make something
She earned her grades through sheer hard work.
work on something We began work on the project last year.
They performed pioneering work on the treatment of cancer.
Work continues on renovating the hotel.
work of doing something The work of building the bridge took six months.
The art collection was his life's work.
She set them to work painting the fence.
a thing or things that are produced as a result of work
She's an artist whose work I really admire.
outstanding work in this area/field
Is this all your own work (= did you do it without help from others)?
The book is a detailed and thorough piece of work covering all aspects of the subject.
He left a substantial body of work—drawings and watercolours as well as oils.
a book, piece of music, painting, etc.
the collected/complete works of Tolstoy
works of fiction/literature
Chopin’s piano works
Beethoven composed his greatest works in the latter part of his life.
work by somebody He recognized the sketch as an early work by Degas.
the result of an action; what is done by somebody
The damage is clearly the work of vandals.
activities involving building or repairing something
roadworks
They expanded the shipyards and started engineering works.
A contract can ensure that landlords carry out the works for which they are legally responsible.
a place where things are made or industrial processes take place
an engineering works
a brickworks
Raw materials were carried to the works by barge.
the moving parts of a machine, etc.
everything
We went to the chip shop and had the works: fish, chips, gherkins, mushy peas.
the use of force to produce movement
part of your normal working life and not unusual
Swimming with sharks or training a tiger cub—it's all in a day's work for animal wrangler Chris Bolton.
it is not healthy to spend all your time working; you need to relax too
having an effect on something
She suspected that secret influences were at work.
busy doing something
He is still at work on the painting.
Danger—men at work.
people who do not have enough to do often start to do wrong
She blamed the crimes on the local jobless teenagers. ‘The devil makes work for idle hands,’ she would say.
(to do) the unpleasant or dishonest jobs that somebody else does not want to do
Next time you can get somebody else to do your dirty work for you!
He always gets someone else to do the dirty work for him.
The drugs gang used children to do their dirty work for them.
to begin; to make a start
We set to work on the outside of the house (= for example, painting it).
Let's get to work.
to give or tell somebody everything
to do/start to do your work
She went cheerfully about her work.
kind acts to help others
to be likely to have difficulty doing something
You'll have your work cut out to get there by nine o'clock.
something that is in the works is being discussed, planned or prepared and will happen or exist soon
work that you are paid to do or that must be done
There was a job of work waiting for him that he was not looking forward to.
to use more time or energy on a task than is necessary
to do something quickly and with little effort
to defeat, deal with something/somebody quickly
Liverpool made short work of the opposition (= in a football match).
He made short work of his lunch (= ate it quickly).
Mike made short work of fixing the engine.
used to say that a job is made easier if a lot of people help
a person who is unpleasant, unkind or dishonest
Don’t trust him; he’s a nasty piece of work.
He's a thoroughly nasty piece of work.
used to show you are pleased when somebody has done something well
You did a good job today. Nice work, James!
used when you wish that you had somebody’s success or good luck and think they have achieved it with little effort
He was paid £200 for a ten-minute speech? Nice work if you can get it.
(to cause) a delay or problem with something that somebody is planning or doing
needing too much effort
I can't be bothered making a hot meal—it's too much like hard work.
a thing that takes a very short time to do
It was the work of a few minutes to hide the damage.
