work up
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work
(wûrk)n.
1.
a. Physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something: Cleaning the basement was a lot of work.
b. Such effort or activity by which one makes a living; employment: looking for work.
c. A trade, profession, or other means of livelihood: His work is fixing cars.
2.
a. The part of a day devoted to an occupation or undertaking: met her after work.
b. One's place of employment: Should I call you at home or at work?
3.
a. Something that one is doing, making, or performing, especially as an occupation or undertaking; a duty or task: begin the day's work.
b. An amount of such activity either done or required: a week's work.
c. The action or effect of an agency: The antibiotic seems to be doing its work.
4.
a. Something that has been produced or accomplished through the effort, activity, or agency of a person or thing: This scheme was the work of a criminal mastermind. Erosion is the work of wind, water, and time.
b. An act; a deed: "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
c. An artistic creation, such as a painting, sculpture, or literary or musical composition, or a creative result of other human activity: an early work of Matisse; a scholarly work of great importance.
d. works The output of a writer, artist, or composer considered or collected as a whole: the works of Bach.
5.
a. works Engineering structures, such as bridges or dams.
b. A fortified structure, such as a trench or fortress.
6.
a. Needlework, weaving, lacemaking, or a similar textile art.
b. A piece of such textile art.
7. A material or piece of material being processed in a machine during manufacture: work to be turned in the lathe.
8. works(used with a sing. or pl. verb) A factory, plant, or similar building or complex of buildings where a specific type of business or industry is carried on. Often used in combination: a steelworks.
9. works Internal mechanism: the works of a watch.
10. The manner, style, or quality of working or treatment; workmanship.
11. Abbr. w Physics The transfer of energy from one physical system to another, especially the application of a force to move a body in a certain direction. It is calculated as the product of the force and the distance over which it is applied and is expressed in joules, ergs, and foot-pounds.
12. works Moral or righteous acts or deeds: salvation by faith rather than works.
13. works
a. Informal The full range of possibilities; everything. Used with the: ordered a pizza with the works.
b. Slang A thorough beating or other severe treatment. Used with the: took him outside and gave him the works.
adj.
Of, relating to, designed for, or engaged in work.
v. worked also wrought (rôt), work·ing, works
v.intr.
1. To exert oneself physically or mentally in order to do, make, or accomplish something.
2. To be employed; have a job.
3.
a. To function; operate: How does this latch work?
b. To function or operate in the desired or required way: The telephone hasn't worked since the thunderstorm.
4.
a. To have a given effect or outcome: Our friendship works best when we speak our minds.
b. To have the desired effect or outcome; prove successful: This recipe seems to work.
5. To exert an influence. Used with on or upon: worked on her to join the group.
6. To arrive at a specified condition through gradual or repeated movement: The stitches worked loose.
7. To proceed or progress slowly and laboriously: worked through the underbrush; worked through my problems in therapy.
8. To move in an agitated manner, as with emotion: Her mouth worked with fear.
9. To behave in a specified way when handled or processed: Not all metals work easily.
10. To ferment.
11. Nautical
a. To strain in heavy seas so that the joints give slightly and the fastenings become slack. Used of a boat or ship.
b. To sail against the wind.
12. To undergo small motions that result in friction and wear: The gears work against each other.
v.tr.
Phrasal Verbs: 1. To cause or effect; bring about: working miracles.
2. To cause to operate or function; actuate, use, or manage: worked the controls; can work a lathe.
3. To shape or forge: "Each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor" (Edgar Allan Poe).
4. To make or decorate by needlework: work a sampler.
5. To solve (a problem) by calculation and reasoning.
6. To knead, stir, or otherwise manipulate in preparation: Work the dough before shaping it.
7. To bring to a specified condition by gradual or repeated effort or work: finally worked the window open; worked the slaves to death.
8. To make, achieve, or pay for by work or effort: worked her way to the top; worked his passage on the ship.
9. Informal To arrange or contrive. Often used with it: worked it so that her weekends are free.
10. To make productive; cultivate: work a farm.
11. To cause to work: works his laborers hard.
12. To excite or provoke: worked the mob into a frenzy.
13. Informal
a. To gratify, cajole, or enchant artfully, especially for the purpose of influencing: The politician worked the crowd. The comedian worked the room with flawless rhythm.
b. To use or manipulate to one's own advantage; exploit: learned how to work the system; worked his relatives for sympathy.
14. To carry on an operation or function in or through: the agent who works that area; working the phones for donations.
15. To ferment (liquor, for example).
work in
1. To insert or introduce: worked in a request for money.
2. To make an opening for, as in a schedule: said the doctor would try to work her in.
3. To cause to be inserted by repeated or continuous effort.
work into
1. To insert or introduce into: worked some childhood memories into his novel.
2. To make an opening for (someone or something) in: worked a few field trips into the semester's calendar.
3. To place or insert in by repeated or continuous effort: worked the pick into the lock.
work off
To get rid of by work or effort: work off extra pounds; work off a debt.
work out
1. To accomplish by work or effort: worked out a compromise.
2. To find a solution for; solve: worked out the equations; worked out their personal differences.
3. To formulate or develop: work out a plan.
4. To discharge (an obligation or debt) with labor in place of money.
5. To prove successful, effective, or satisfactory: The new strategy may not work out.
6. To have a specified result: The ratio works out to an odd number. It worked out that everyone left on the same train.
7. To engage in strenuous exercise for physical conditioning.
8. To exhaust (a mine, for example).
work over
1. To do for a second time; rework.
2. Slang To inflict severe physical damage on; beat up.
work up
Idioms: 1. To arouse the emotions of; excite.
2.
a. To increase one's skill, responsibility, efficiency, or status through work: worked up to 30 sit-ups a day; worked up to store manager.
b. To intensify gradually: The film works up to a thrilling climax.
3. To develop or produce by mental or physical effort: worked up a patient profile; worked up an appetite.
at work
1. Engaged in labor; working: at work on a new project.
2. In operation: inflationary forces at work in the economy.
in the works
In preparation; under development: has a novel in the works.
out of work
Without a job; unemployed.
put in work
To perform labor or duties, as on a specified project: put in work on the plastering.
work both sides of the street
To engage in double-dealing; be duplicitous.
work like a charm
To function very well or have a very good effect or outcome.
work (one's) fingers to the bone
To labor extremely hard; toil or travail.
Synonyms: work, labor, toil1, drudgery, travail
These nouns refer to physical or mental effort expended to produce or accomplish something. Work is the most widely applicable: hard work in the fields; did some work around the house on weekends; a first draft that still needs work.
Labor usually implies human work, especially of a hard physical or intellectual nature: a construction job that involves heavy labor."All scholarly work builds on the cumulative labors of others" (Jerome Karabel).
Toil applies principally to strenuous, fatiguing labor: "a spirited woman of intellect condemned to farmhouse toil" (Cynthia Ozick).
Drudgery suggests dull, wearisome, or monotonous work: "the drudgery of penning definitions and marking quotations for transcription" (Thomas Macaulay).
Travail connotes arduous work involving pain or suffering: "prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth" (Henry Beston).
These nouns refer to physical or mental effort expended to produce or accomplish something. Work is the most widely applicable: hard work in the fields; did some work around the house on weekends; a first draft that still needs work.
Labor usually implies human work, especially of a hard physical or intellectual nature: a construction job that involves heavy labor."All scholarly work builds on the cumulative labors of others" (Jerome Karabel).
Toil applies principally to strenuous, fatiguing labor: "a spirited woman of intellect condemned to farmhouse toil" (Cynthia Ozick).
Drudgery suggests dull, wearisome, or monotonous work: "the drudgery of penning definitions and marking quotations for transcription" (Thomas Macaulay).
Travail connotes arduous work involving pain or suffering: "prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth" (Henry Beston).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
work up
vb (tr, mainly adverb)
1. to arouse the feelings of; excite
2. to cause to grow or develop: to work up a hunger.
3. (also preposition) to move or cause to move gradually upwards
4. (Art Terms) to manipulate or mix into a specified object or shape
5. (Education) to gain knowledge of or skill at (a subject)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | work up - form or accumulate steadily; "Resistance to the manager's plan built up quickly"; "Pressure is building up at the Indian-Pakistani border" build - develop and grow; "Suspense was building right from the beginning of the opera" develop - grow, progress, unfold, or evolve through a process of evolution, natural growth, differentiation, or a conducive environment; "A flower developed on the branch"; "The country developed into a mighty superpower"; "The embryo develops into a fetus"; "This situation has developed over a long time" |
| 2. | work up - develop; "we worked up an as of an appetite" | |
| 3. | work up - bolster or strengthen; "We worked up courage"; "build up confidence"; "ramp up security in the airports" increase - make bigger or more; "The boss finally increased her salary"; "The university increased the number of students it admitted" | |
| 4. | work up - come up with; "His colleagues worked out his interesting idea"; "We worked up an ad for our client" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
work
noun1. Physical exertion that is usually difficult and exhausting:
Informal: sweat.
Chiefly British: fag.
Idiom: sweat of one's brow.
2. Activity pursued as a livelihood:
art, business, calling, career, craft, employment, job, line, métier, occupation, profession, pursuit, trade, vocation.
Slang: racket.
Archaic: employ.
4. Something that is the result of creative effort:
5. An issue of printed material offered for sale or distribution:
7. The technique, style, and quality of working:
8. Informal. An amount or quantity from which nothing is left out or held back.Used in plural:
Idioms: everything but the kitchen sink, lock, stock, and barrel, the whole ball of wax.
1. To exert one's mental or physical powers, usually under difficulty and to the point of exhaustion:
Idiom: break one's back.
6. To arrive at an answer to (a mathematical problem):
Informal: figure out.
7. To handle in a way so as to mix, form, and shape:
10. To force to work:
Idiom: crack the whip.
work out
1. To arrive at an answer to (a mathematical problem):
Informal: figure out.
work up
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُثير، يَخْلُقيُثير، يُغْضِب
hidse sig opoparbejde
belelendül
æsa uppná upp, skapa
vzbudiť v sebe
w>work up
vt sep
(= develop) business → zu etwas bringen, entwickeln; enthusiasm (in oneself) → aufbringen; appetite → sich (dat) → holen; courage → sich (dat) → machen; to work one’s way up (through the ranks) → von der Pike auf dienen; to work up a sweat → richtig ins Schwitzen kommen
lecture, theme, notes → ausarbeiten
vi (skirt etc) → sich hochschieben
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
work
(wəːk) noun1. effort made in order to achieve or make something. He has done a lot of work on this project
2. employment. I cannot find work in this town.
3. a task or tasks; the thing that one is working on. Please clear your work off the table.
4. a painting, book, piece of music etc. the works of Van Gogh / Shakespeare/Mozart; This work was composed in 1816.
5. the product or result of a person's labours. His work has shown a great improvement lately.
6. one's place of employment. He left (his) work at 5.30 p.m.; I don't think I'll go to work tomorrow.
verb1. to (cause to) make efforts in order to achieve or make something. She works at the factory three days a week; He works his employees very hard; I've been working on/at a new project.
2. to be employed. Are you working just now?
3. to (cause to) operate (in the correct way). He has no idea how that machine works / how to work that machine; That machine doesn't/won't work, but this one's working.
4. to be practicable and/or successful. If my scheme works, we'll be rich!
5. to make (one's way) slowly and carefully with effort or difficulty. She worked her way up the rock face.
6. to get into, or put into, a stated condition or position, slowly and gradually. The wheel worked loose.
7. to make by craftsmanship. The ornaments had been worked in gold.
-work1. (the art of making) goods of a particular material. He learns woodwork at school; This shop sells basketwork.
2. parts of something, eg a building, made of a particular material. The stonework/woodwork/paintwork needs to be renewed.
ˈworkable adjective (of a plan) able to be carried out.
ˈworker noun1. a person who works or who is employed in an office, a factory etc. office-workers; car-workers.
2. a manual worker rather than an office-worker etc.
3. a person who works (hard etc). He's a slow/hard worker.
works noun singular or plural a factory etc. The steelworks is/are closed for the holidays.
noun plural1. the mechanism (of a watch, clock etc). The works are all rusted.
2. deeds, actions etc. She's devoted her life to good works.
ˈwork-basket, ˈwork-boxetc nouns a basket, box etc for holding thread, needlework etc.
ˈworkbook noun a book of exercises usually with spaces for answers.
ˈworkforce noun the number of workers (available for work) in a particular industry, factory etc.
working class the section of society who work with their hands, doing manual labour.
working day, ˈwork-day nouns1. a day on which one goes to work, and is not on holiday.
2. the period of actual labour in a normal day at work. My working day is eight hours long.
working hours the times of day between which one is at work. Normal working hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ˈworking-party, ˈwork-party nouns a group of people gathered together (usually voluntarily) to perform a particular physical task. They organized a work-party to clear the canal of weeds.
working week the five days from Monday to Friday inclusive when people go to work.
ˈworkman noun a man who does manual work. the workmen on a building site.
ˈworkmanlike adjective1. suitable to a good workman. a workmanlike attitude.
2. well performed. a workmanlike job.
ˈworkmanship noun the skill of a qualified workman; skill in making things.
ˈworkmate noun one of the people who work in the same place of employment as oneself. Her workmates teased her about being the boss's favourite.
ˈworkout noun a period of hard physical exercise for the purpose of keeping fit etc.
ˈworkshop noun1. a room or building, especially in a factory etc where construction and repairs are carried out.
2. a course of experimental work for a group of people on a particular project.
at work working. He's writing a novel and he likes to be at work (on it) by eight o'clock every morning.
get/set to work to start work. Could you get to work painting that ceiling?; I'll have to set to work on this mending this evening.
go to work on to begin work on. We're thinking of going to work on an extension to the house.
have one's work cut out to be faced with a difficult task. You'll have your work cut out to beat the champion.
in working order (of a machine etc) operating correctly.
out of work having no employment. He's been out of work for months.
work of art a painting, sculpture etc.
work off to get rid of (something unwanted or unpleasant) by taking physical exercise etc. He worked off his anger by running round the garden six times.
work out1. to solve or calculate correctly. I can't work out how many should be left.
2. to come to a satisfactory end. Don't worry – it will all work out (in the end).
3. to perform physical exercises.
work up1. to excite or rouse gradually. She worked herself up into a fury. (adjective ˌworked-ˈup: Don't get so worked-up!).
2. to raise or create. I just can't work up any energy/appetite/enthusiasm today.
work up to to progress towards and prepare for. Work up to the difficult exercises gradually.
work wonders to produce marvellous results. These pills have worked wonders on my rheumatism.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.