work – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of work

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to work on sb
Participle: worked on sb
Gerund: working on sb

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Iwork on sb
youwork on sb
he;she;itworks on sb
wework on sb
youwork on sb
theywork on sb

Perfect

Ihave worked on sb; wrought on sb
youhave worked on sb; wrought on sb
he;she;ithas worked on sb; wrought on sb
wehave worked on sb; wrought on sb
youhave worked on sb; wrought on sb
theyhave worked on sb; wrought on sb

Past

Iworked on sb
youworked on sb
he;she;itworked on sb
weworked on sb
youworked on sb
theyworked on sb

Pluperfect

Ihad worked on sb; wrought on sb
youhad worked on sb; wrought on sb
he;she;ithad worked on sb; wrought on sb
wehad worked on sb; wrought on sb
youhad worked on sb; wrought on sb
theyhad worked on sb; wrought on sb

Future

Iwill work on sb
youwill work on sb
he;she;itwill work on sb
wewill work on sb
youwill work on sb
theywill work on sb

Future Perfect

Iwill have worked on sb; wrought on sb
youwill have worked on sb; wrought on sb
he;she;itwill have worked on sb; wrought on sb
wewill have worked on sb; wrought on sb
youwill have worked on sb; wrought on sb
theywill have worked on sb; wrought on sb

Subjunctive

Present

Iwork on sb
youwork on sb
he;she;itwork on sb
wework on sb
youwork on sb
theywork on sb

Perfect

Ihave worked on sb; wrought on sb
youhave worked on sb; wrought on sb
he;she;ithave worked on sb; wrought on sb
wehave worked on sb; wrought on sb
youhave worked on sb; wrought on sb
theyhave worked on sb; wrought on sb

Imperfect

Iworked on sb
youworked on sb
he;she;itworked on sb
weworked on sb
youworked on sb
theyworked on sb

Pluperfect

Ihad worked on sb; wrought on sb
youhad worked on sb; wrought on sb
he;she;ithad worked on sb; wrought on sb
wehad worked on sb; wrought on sb
youhad worked on sb; wrought on sb
theyhad worked on sb; wrought on sb

Conditional

Present

Iwould work on sb
youwould work on sb
he;she;itwould work on sb
wewould work on sb
youwould work on sb
theywould work on sb

Perfect

Iwould have worked on sb; wrought on sb
youwould have worked on sb; wrought on sb
he;she;itwould have worked on sb; wrought on sb
wewould have worked on sb; wrought on sb
youwould have worked on sb; wrought on sb
theywould have worked on sb; wrought on sb

Imperative

youwork on sb
weLet's work on sb
youwork on sb

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam working on sb
youare working on sb
he;she;itis working on sb
weare working on sb
youare working on sb
theyare working on sb

Perfect

Ihave been working on sb
youhave been working on sb
he;she;ithas been working on sb
wehave been working on sb
youhave been working on sb
theyhave been working on sb

Past

Iwas working on sb
youwere working on sb
he;she;itwas working on sb
wewere working on sb
youwere working on sb
theywere working on sb

Pluperfect

Ihad been working on sb
youhad been working on sb
he;she;ithad been working on sb
wehad been working on sb
youhad been working on sb
theyhad been working on sb

Future

Iwill be working on sb
youwill be working on sb
he;she;itwill be working on sb
wewill be working on sb
youwill be working on sb
theywill be working on sb

Future Perfect

Iwill have been working on sb
youwill have been working on sb
he;she;itwill have been working on sb
wewill have been working on sb
youwill have been working on sb
theywill have been working on sb

Conditional

Present

Iwould be working on sb
youwould be working on sb
he;she;itwould be working on sb
wewould be working on sb
youwould be working on sb
theywould be working on sb

Perfect

Iwould have been working on sb
youwould have been working on sb
he;she;itwould have been working on sb
wewould have been working on sb
youwould have been working on sb
theywould have been working on sb

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'work'

abandon, abduct, abear, aberr, abject, abord, abort, abound, abraid, abray, abrook, abscind, abscond, absist, absorb, abstain, abstract, accend, accent, accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)

Verbs similar to 'work'

bork, cork, fork, gork, hork, pork, wark, wok, word, worke,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

labor
drudgery, grind, toil, exertion, moil
operate
run, manage, control, handle, drive, manipulate, use
accomplish
perform, produce, achieve, execute, effect, cause, do

Antonyms

transitive: to satisfy the needs or wishes of; to give free reign to
drive, push, indulge
to be idle
energize, leave, make a move, scraffle, scramble, take action, loiter
labor
ease, relaxation, unemployment, idleness
accomplish
fail, relinquish, nullify, defeat

Additional Information

Cf. Old English wyrcan.

Etymology

1. O.E. weorc, worc "something done, deed, action, proceeding, business, military fortification," from P.Gmc. *werkan (cf. O.S., O.Fris., Du. werk, O.N. verk, M.Du. warc, O.H.G. werah, Ger. Werk, Goth. gawaurki), from PIE base *werg- "to work" (see urge (v.)).
"Work is less boring than amusing oneself." [Baudelaire, "Mon Coeur mis a nu," 1862]
In O.E., the noun also had the sense of "fornication." Workhouse in the sense of "place where the poor or petty criminals are lodged" first appeared 1652. Works "industrial place" (usually with qualifying adj.) is attested from 1581. Work station is recorded from 1950.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *werǵ-
4. Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
5. Proto-Indo-European *wr̥ǵyéti
6. Proto-Germanic *wurkijaną
7. Proto-West Germanic *wurkijan
8. Proto-Indo-European *werǵ-
9. Proto-Indo-European *-om
10. Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom
11. Proto-Germanic *werką
12. Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
13. Proto-Germanic *-janą
14. Proto-Germanic *wirkijaną
15. Proto-West Germanic *wirkijan
16. Old English wyrċan
17. Middle English worchen
18. English work
19. From Middle English werken and worchen, from Old English wyrċan and wircan (Mercian), from Proto-Germanic *wurkijaną (“to work”), from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥ǵyéti (“to be working, to be at work”), from the root *werǵ-. Cognate with Old Frisian werka, wirka, Old Saxon wirkian, Low German warken, Dutch werken, Old High German wurken (German wirken, werken and werkeln), Old Norse yrkja and orka, (Swedish yrka and orka), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (waurkjan). See: Proto-Germanic '*wurkijaną', Proto-Indo-European '*wr̥ǵyéti', Old Saxon 'wirkian', Low Saxon 'warken', Dutch 'werken', German, old spelling 'wirken', Swedish 'yrka'.

Verbs referencing "work"

Tok Pisin wok, Norwegian, nynorsk verka, Welsh gwneud, Latin organizo, Dari ورزیدن, Low Saxon warken, Luxembourgish wierken, Sranan wroko, Cimbrian börchan, Finnish with old forms wörkkiä.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] a dense conglomeration of passengers and passengers ’ friends and passengers ’ luggage, all jumbled together on the deck of a small steamboat, and panting and snorting off to the packet, which had worked out of dock yesterday afternoon and was now lying at her moorings in the river. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] again; the sun shining as on a brilliant April day in England; the land stretched out on either side, streaked with light patches of snow; white wooden houses; people at their doors; telegraphs working; flags hoisted; wharfs appearing; ships; quays crowded with people; distant noises; shouts; men and boys running down steep places towards the pier: all more bright and gay and fresh to our unused [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • This young man had been hired out by his master to work in a bagging factory, where his adroitness and ingenuity caused him to be considered the first hand in the place. He had invented a machine for the cleaning of the hemp, which, considering the [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] receive his earnings, or not. Those who prove unable to earn their own livelihood will not be retained; as it is not desirable to convert the establishment into an alms-house, or to retain any but working bees in the hive. Those who by physical or mental imbecility are disqualified from work, are thereby disqualified from being members of an industrious community; and they can be better provided for [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Each ward in this institution is shaped like a long gallery or hall, with the dormitories of the patients opening from it on either hand. Here they work, read, play at skittles, and other games; and when the weather does not admit of their taking exercise out of doors, pass the day together. In one of these rooms, seated, calmly, and quite as a [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • In the labour department, every patient is as freely trusted with the tools of his trade as if he were a sane man. In the garden, and on the farm, they work with spades, rakes, and hoes. For amusement, they walk, run, fish, paint, read, and ride out to take the air in carriages provided for the purpose. They have among themselves a sewing society to [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] closes the catalogue. It is the House of Correction for the State, in which silence is strictly maintained, but where the prisoners have the comfort and mental relief of seeing each other, and of working together. This is the improved system of Prison Discipline which we have imported into England, and which has been in successful operation among us for some years past. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] like a wink, suddenly awakens all the slumbering echoes in the main street of a large town, and dashes on haphazard, pell-mell, neck-or-nothing, down the middle of the road. There—with mechanics working at their trades, and people leaning from their doors and windows, and boys flying kites and playing marbles, and men smoking, and women talking, and children crawling, and pigs burrowing, and [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] the roof, lest with one thoughtless stamp of his foot he should crush the structure beneath him, and bring it rattling down. The very river that moves the machinery in the mills (for they are all worked by water power ), seems to acquire a new character from the fresh buildings of bright red brick and painted wood among which it takes its course; and to be as light-headed, thoughtless, and brisk a [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • The rooms in which they worked, were as well ordered as themselves. In the windows of some, there were green plants, which were trained to shade the glass; in all, there was as much fresh air, cleanliness, and comfort, as the [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • But throughout five years of working here, I 've never been promoted at all. (Laundry Show)
  • This works. Stop fooling around ! I wasn't expecting a city inside the light. (My Hero Academia: You're Next)
  • For example, the triumphs of our proletariat. I 've never worked in a factory, (The Master and Margarita)
  • Just put an end to that shit. But that's not how it works, Martín. (The Truthers)
  • Okay. -[synthetic voice ] Warning... -Gotta keep pressure on it. I 'm working on it. (Runner)