Difference Wiki

Work vs. Working: What's the Difference?

By Janet White & Aimie Carlson || Updated on May 24, 2024
Work refers to tasks or duties performed to achieve a goal, whereas working describes the act of performing these tasks.

Key Differences

Work is a noun that refers to tasks, duties, or activities undertaken to achieve a specific objective or goal. It can encompass a wide range of activities, from professional employment to personal projects. Working, on the other hand, is the present participle form of the verb "to work," describing the act of engaging in these tasks or activities.
Work can also refer to a place of employment or the product/result of one's labor, while working highlights the process or action of performing tasks. For example, one might say, "I have work to do" to indicate tasks that need completing, whereas "I am working" focuses on the ongoing activity of completing those tasks.
In terms of grammar, work can function as both a noun and a verb. When used as a noun, it denotes a task or job, and as a verb, it means to engage in tasks. Working, however, is always used as a verb form, either as a present participle or a gerund. For instance, "She goes to work every day" uses work as a noun, while "She is working" uses the verb form.
Work often implies a broader concept, including the place, nature, and product of one's efforts, whereas working emphasizes the specific act of performing duties or tasks. This distinction is crucial in understanding their different uses in sentences and contexts.
When discussing the effort involved, work refers to the effort as a whole, while working zeroes in on the continuous application of effort. For example, "His work is highly regarded" refers to the overall quality of his tasks, whereas "He is working hard" describes his current effort in performing those tasks.
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Comparison Chart

Part of Speech

Noun, Verb
Present Participle, Gerund

Focus

Task or duty
Act of performing a task

Example Usage

"I have work to do."
"I am working on a project."

Temporal Aspect

General state or result
Ongoing action

Additional Meaning

Place of employment
Continuous effort
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Work and Working Definitions

Work

Tasks or duties performed for a purpose.
He completed all his work before the deadline.

Working

Performing duties related to employment.
He is currently working at a tech company.

Work

Employment or occupation.
She goes to work at 8 AM every day.

Working

Operating or functioning.
The machine is working efficiently.

Work

The result or product of effort.
The artist's work is displayed in the gallery.

Working

The act of putting effort into a task.
They are working hard to meet the deadline.

Work

Physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something
Cleaning the basement was a lot of work.

Working

Performing work
A working committee.

Work

Such effort or activity by which one makes a living; employment
Looking for work.

Working

Operating or functioning as required
A working flashlight.

Work

A trade, profession, or other means of livelihood
His work is fixing cars.

Working

Having a paying job; employed
Working mothers.

Work

The part of a day devoted to an occupation or undertaking
Met her after work.

Working

Spent at work
A working life of 40 years.

Work

One's place of employment
Should I call you at home or at work?.

Working

Taken while continuing to work
A working vacation.

Work

Something that one is doing, making, or performing, especially as an occupation or undertaking; a duty or task
Begin the day's work.

Working

Sufficient to allow action
A working majority.

Work

An amount of such activity either done or required
A week's work.

Working

Adequate for practical use
A working knowledge of Spanish.

Work

The action or effect of an agency
The antibiotic seems to be doing its work.

Working

Serving as a basis or guide for further work
A working hypothesis.

Work

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.

Working

The manner in which something operates or functions
The workings of the mind.

Work

An act; a deed
"I have seen all the works that are done under the sun.
And, behold, all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

Working

The parts of a mine or quarry that have been or are being excavated.

Work

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.

Working

Operation; action.

Work

Works The output of a writer, artist, or composer considered or collected as a whole
The works of Bach.

Working

Method of operation.

Work

Works Engineering structures, such as bridges or dams.

Working

(arithmetic) The incidental or subsidiary calculations performed in solving an overall problem.
Be sure to check your working.

Work

A fortified structure, such as a trench or fortress.

Working

Fermentation.

Work

Needlework, weaving, lacemaking, or a similar textile art.

Working

(of bodies of water) Becoming full of a vegetable substance.

Work

A piece of such textile art.

Working

A place where work is carried on.
The abandoned mine workings

Work

A material or piece of material being processed in a machine during manufacture
Work to be turned in the lathe.

Working

(countable) A train movement.

Work

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.

Working

Present participle of work
Leave him alone; he’s working.

Work

Works Internal mechanism
The works of a watch.

Working

That is or are functioning.
A working ventilator

Work

The manner, style, or quality of working or treatment; workmanship.

Working

That suffices but requires additional work.
A working copy of the script

Work

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.

Working

In paid employment.
Working mothers

Work

Works Moral or righteous acts or deeds
Salvation by faith rather than works.

Working

Of or relating to employment.
The working week

Work

(Informal) The full range of possibilities; everything. Used with the
Ordered a pizza with the works.

Working

Enough to allow one to use something.

Work

(Slang) A thorough beating or other severe treatment. Used with the
Took him outside and gave him the works.

Working

Used in real life; practical.
The working minimum focus distance is the distance from the closest focusable subject to the lens.

Work

Of, relating to, designed for, or engaged in work.

Working

(obsolete) Efficacious.

Work

To exert oneself physically or mentally in order to do, make, or accomplish something.

Working

A mine or quarry that is being or has been worked

Work

To be employed; have a job.

Working

Actively engaged in paid work;
The working population
The ratio of working men to unemployed
A working mother
Robots can be on the job day and night

Work

To function; operate
How does this latch work?.

Working

Adequate for practical use; especially sufficient in strength or numbers to accomplish something;
The party has a working majority in the House
A working knowledge of Spanish

Work

To function or operate in the desired or required way
The telephone hasn't worked since the thunderstorm.

Working

Adopted as a temporary basis for further work;
A working draft
A working hypothesis

Work

To have a given effect or outcome
Our friendship works best when we speak our minds.

Working

(of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing;
In running (or working) order
A functional set of brakes

Work

To have the desired effect or outcome; prove successful
This recipe seems to work.

Working

Serving to permit or facilitate further work or activity;
Discussed the working draft of a peace treaty
They need working agreements with their neighbor states on interstate projects

Work

To exert an influence. Used with on or upon
Worked on her to join the group.

Working

Engaging in tasks or activities.
She is working on her thesis.

Work

To arrive at a specified condition through gradual or repeated movement
The stitches worked loose.

Working

Continuous action or process.
Working in a team requires good communication.

Work

To proceed or progress slowly and laboriously
Worked through the underbrush.
Worked through my problems in therapy.

Work

To move in an agitated manner, as with emotion
Her mouth worked with fear.

Work

To behave in a specified way when handled or processed
Not all metals work easily.

Work

To ferment.

Work

To strain in heavy seas so that the joints give slightly and the fastenings become slack. Used of a boat or ship.

Work

To sail against the wind.

Work

To undergo small motions that result in friction and wear
The gears work against each other.

Work

To cause or effect; bring about
Working miracles.

Work

To cause to operate or function; actuate, use, or manage
Worked the controls.
Can work a lathe.

Work

To shape or forge
"Each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor" (Edgar Allan Poe).

Work

To make or decorate by needlework
Work a sampler.

Work

To solve (a problem) by calculation and reasoning.

Work

To knead, stir, or otherwise manipulate in preparation
Work the dough before shaping it.

Work

To bring to a specified condition by gradual or repeated effort or work
Finally worked the window open.
Worked the slaves to death.

Work

To make, achieve, or pay for by work or effort
Worked her way to the top.
Worked his passage on the ship.

Work

(Informal) To arrange or contrive. Often used with it
Worked it so that her weekends are free.

Work

To make productive; cultivate
Work a farm.

Work

To cause to work
Works his laborers hard.

Work

To excite or provoke
Worked the mob into a frenzy.

Work

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.

Work

To use or manipulate to one's own advantage; exploit
Learned how to work the system.
Worked his relatives for sympathy.

Work

To carry on an operation or function in or through
The agent who works that area.
Working the phones for donations.

Work

To ferment (liquor, for example).

Work

Employment.

Work

Labour, occupation, job.
My work involves a lot of travel.

Work

The place where one is employed.
He hasn’t come home yet; he’s still at work.

Work

(by extension) One's employer.
I want to go to the reunion concert, but I'm not sure if my work will give me the time off.

Work

(dated) A factory; a works.

Work

Effort.

Work

Effort expended on a particular task.
Holding a brick over your head is hard work. It takes a lot of work to write a dictionary.

Work

Sustained human effort to overcome obstacles and achieve a result.
We know what we must do. Let's go to work.
We don't have much time. Let's get to work piling up those sandbags.

Work

Something on which effort is expended.
There's lots of work waiting for me at the office.

Work

(physics) A measure of energy expended in moving an object; most commonly, force times distance. No work is done if the object does not move.
Work is done against friction to drag a bag along the ground.

Work

A measure of energy that is usefully extracted from a process.

Work

(heading) Product; the result of effort.

Work

The result of a particular manner of production.
There's a lot of guesswork involved.

Work

Something produced using the specified material or tool.
We've got some paperwork to do before we can get started. The piece was decorated with intricate filigree work.

Work

(countable) A literary, artistic, or intellectual production.
It is a work of art.
The poetic works of Alexander Pope

Work

(countable) A fortification.
William the Conqueror fortified many castles, throwing up new ramparts, bastions and all manner of works.

Work

The staging of events to appear as real.

Work

(mining) Ore before it is dressed.

Work

The equipment needed to inject a drug (syringes, needles, swabs etc.)
Tell me you're using clean works at least.

Work

(intransitive) To do a specific task by employing physical or mental powers.
He’s working in a bar.

Work

Followed by in (or at, etc.) Said of one's workplace (building), or one's department, or one's trade (sphere of business).
I work in a national park
She works in the human resources department
He mostly works in logging, but sometimes works in carpentry

Work

Followed by as. Said of one's job title
I work as a cleaner.

Work

Followed by for. Said of a company or individual who employs.
She works for Microsoft
He works for the president

Work

Followed by with. General use, said of either fellow employees or instruments or clients.
I work closely with my Canadian counterparts
You work with computers
She works with the homeless people from the suburbs

Work

(intransitive) To effect by gradual degrees;
To work into the earth

Work

(transitive) To effect by gradual degrees.
He worked his way through the crowd
The dye worked its way through
Using some tweezers, she worked the bee sting out of her hand

Work

(transitive) To embroider with thread.

Work

(transitive) To set into action.
He worked the levers.

Work

(transitive) To cause to ferment.

Work

(intransitive) To ferment.

Work

(transitive) To exhaust, by working.
The mine was worked until the last scrap of ore had been extracted.

Work

(transitive) To shape, form, or improve a material.
He used pliers to work the wire into shape.

Work

(transitive) To operate in a certain place, area, or speciality.
She works the night clubs
The salesman works the Midwest

Work

(transitive) To operate in or through; as, to work the phones.

Work

(transitive) To provoke or excite; to influence.
The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy.

Work

(transitive) To use or manipulate to one’s advantage.
She knows how to work the system.

Work

To cause to happen or to occur as a consequence.
I cannot work a miracle.

Work

(transitive) To cause to work.
He is working his servants hard.

Work

(intransitive) To function correctly; to act as intended; to achieve the goal designed for.
He pointed at the car and asked, "Does it work"?;
He looked at the bottle of pain pills, wondering if they would work;
My plan didn’t work

Work

To influence.
They worked on her to join the group.

Work

(intransitive) To move in an agitated manner.
His fingers worked with tension.
A ship works in a heavy sea.

Work

(intransitive) To behave in a certain way when handled
This dough does not work easily;
The soft metal works well

Work

To cause (someone) to feel (something); to do unto somebody (something, whether good or bad).

Work

To hurt; to ache.

Work

To pull off; to wear, perform, etc. successfully or to advantage.
I would never have thought those pieces would go together, but she is working it like nobody's business.

Work

Exertion of strength or faculties; physical or intellectual effort directed to an end; industrial activity; toil; employment; sometimes, specifically, physical labor.
Man hath his daily work of body or mindAppointed.

Work

The matter on which one is at work; that upon which one spends labor; material for working upon; subject of exertion; the thing occupying one; business; duty; as, to take up one's work; to drop one's work.
Come on, Nerissa; I have work in handThat you yet know not of.
In every work that he began . . . he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

Work

That which is produced as the result of labor; anything accomplished by exertion or toil; product; performance; fabric; manufacture; in a more general sense, act, deed, service, effect, result, achievement, feat.
To leave no rubs or blotches in the work.
The work some praise,And some the architect.
Fancy . . . Wild work produces oft, and most in dreams.
The composition or dissolution of mixed bodies . . . is the chief work of elements.

Work

Specifically: (a) That which is produced by mental labor; a composition; a book; as, a work, or the works, of Addison. (b) Flowers, figures, or the like, wrought with the needle; embroidery.
I am glad I have found this napkin; . . . I'll have the work ta'en out,And give 't Iago.

Work

Structures in civil, military, or naval engineering, as docks, bridges, embankments, trenches, fortifications, and the like; also, the structures and grounds of a manufacturing establishment; as, iron works; locomotive works; gas works.

Work

Manner of working; management; treatment; as, unskillful work spoiled the effect.

Work

The causing of motion against a resisting force. The amount of work is proportioned to, and is measured by, the product of the force into the amount of motion along the direction of the force. See Conservation of energy, under Conservation, Unit of work, under Unit, also Foot pound, Horse power, Poundal, and Erg.
Energy is the capacity of doing work . . . Work is the transference of energy from one system to another.

Work

Ore before it is dressed.

Work

Performance of moral duties; righteous conduct.
He shall reward every man according to his works.
Faith, if it hath not works, is dead.

Work

Break; twist.

Work

The causing of motion against a resisting force, measured by the product of the force into the component of the motion resolved along the direction of the force.
Energy is the capacity of doing work. . . . Work is the transference of energy from one system to another.

Work

Ore before it is dressed.

Work

To exert one's self for a purpose; to put forth effort for the attainment of an object; to labor; to be engaged in the performance of a task, a duty, or the like.
O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work,To match thy goodness?
Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you.
Whether we work or play, or sleep or wake,Our life doth pass.

Work

Hence, in a general sense, to operate; to act; to perform; as, a machine works well.
We bend to that the working of the heart.

Work

Hence, figuratively, to be effective; to have effect or influence; to conduce.
We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.
This so wrought upon the child, that afterwards he desired to be taught.
She marveled how she could ever have been wrought upon to marry him.

Work

To carry on business; to be engaged or employed customarily; to perform the part of a laborer; to labor; to toil.
They that work in fine flax . . . shall be confounded.

Work

To be in a state of severe exertion, or as if in such a state; to be tossed or agitated; to move heavily; to strain; to labor; as, a ship works in a heavy sea.
Confused with working sands and rolling waves.

Work

To make one's way slowly and with difficulty; to move or penetrate laboriously; to proceed with effort; - with a following preposition, as down, out, into, up, through, and the like; as, scheme works out by degrees; to work into the earth.
Till body up to spirit work, in boundsProportioned to each kind.

Work

To ferment, as a liquid.
The working of beer when the barm is put in.

Work

To act or operate on the stomach and bowels, as a cathartic.
Purges . . . work best, that is, cause the blood so to do, . . . in warm weather or in a warm room.

Work

To labor or operate upon; to give exertion and effort to; to prepare for use, or to utilize, by labor.
He could have told them of two or three gold mines, and a silver mine, and given the reason why they forbare to work them at that time.

Work

To produce or form by labor; to bring forth by exertion or toil; to accomplish; to originate; to effect; as, to work wood or iron into a form desired, or into a utensil; to work cotton or wool into cloth.
Each herb he knew, that works or good or ill.

Work

To produce by slow degrees, or as if laboriously; to bring gradually into any state by action or motion.
So the pure, limpid stream, when foul with stainsOf rushing torrents and descending rains,Works itself clear, and as it runs, refines,Till by degrees the floating mirror shines.

Work

To influence by acting upon; to prevail upon; to manage; to lead.

Work

To form with a needle and thread or yarn; especially, to embroider; as, to work muslin.

Work

To set in motion or action; to direct the action of; to keep at work; to govern; to manage; as, to work a machine.
Knowledge in building and working ships.
Now, Marcus, thy virtue's the proof;Put forth thy utmost strength, work every nerve.
The mariners all 'gan work the ropes,Where they were wont to do.

Work

To cause to ferment, as liquor.
Tears of joy for your returning spilt,Work out and expiate our former guilt.
The sun, that rolls his chariot o'er their heads,Works up more fire and color in their cheeks.

Work

Activity directed toward making or doing something;
She checked several points needing further work

Work

A product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing;
It is not regarded as one of his more memorable works
The symphony was hailed as an ingenious work
He was indebted to the pioneering work of John Dewey
The work of an active imagination
Erosion is the work of wind or water over time

Work

The occupation for which you are paid;
He is looking for employment
A lot of people are out of work

Work

Applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading);
Mastering a second language requires a lot of work
No schools offer graduate study in interior design

Work

The total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it);
He studied the entire Wagnerian oeuvre
Picasso's work can be divided into periods

Work

A place where work is done;
He arrived at work early today

Work

(physics) a manifestation of energy; the transfer of energy from one physical system to another expressed as the product of a force and the distance through which it moves a body in the direction of that force;
Work equals force times distance

Work

Exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity;
I will work hard to improve my grades
She worked hard for better living conditions for the poor

Work

Be employed;
Is your husband working again?
My wife never worked
Do you want to work after the age of 60?
She never did any work because she inherited a lot of money
She works as a waitress to put herself through college

Work

Have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected;
The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought
How does your idea work in practice?
This method doesn't work
The breaks of my new car act quickly
The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water

Work

Perform as expected when applied;
The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in
Does this old car still run well?
This old radio doesn't work anymore

Work

Shape, form, or improve a material;
Work stone into tools
Process iron
Work the metal

Work

Give a work-out to;
Some parents exercise their infants
My personal trainer works me hard
Work one's muscles

Work

Proceed along a path;
Work one's way through the crowd
Make one's way into the forest

Work

Operate in a certain place, area, or specialty;
She works the night clubs
The salesman works the Midwest
This artist works mostly in acrylics

Work

Proceed towards a goal or along a path or through an activity;
Work your way through every problem or task
She was working on her second martini when the guests arrived
Start from the bottom and work towards the top

Work

Move in an agitated manner;
His fingers worked with tension

Work

Cause to happen or to occur as a consequence;
I cannot work a miracle
Wreak havoc
Bring comments
Play a joke
The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area

Work

Cause to work;
He is working his servants hard

Work

Prepare for crops;
Work the soil
Cultivate the land

Work

Behave in a certain way when handled;
This dough does not work easily
The soft metal works well

Work

Have and exert influence or effect;
The artist's work influenced the young painter
She worked on her friends to support the political candidate

Work

Operate in or through;
Work the phones

Work

Cause to operate or function;
This pilot works the controls
Can you work an electric drill?

Work

Provoke or excite;
The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy

Work

Gratify and charm, usually in order to influence;
The political candidate worked the crowds

Work

Make something, usually for a specific function;
She molded the riceballs carefully
Form cylinders from the dough
Shape a figure
Work the metal into a sword

Work

Move into or onto;
Work the raisins into the dough
The student worked a few jokes into his presentation
Work the body onto the flatbed truck

Work

Make uniform;
Knead dough
Work the clay until it is soft

Work

Use or manipulate to one's advantage;
He exploit the new taxation system
She knows how to work the system
He works his parents for sympathy

Work

Find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of;
Did you solve the problem?
Work out your problems with the boss
This unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out
Did you get it?
Did you get my meaning?
He could not work the math problem

Work

Cause to undergo fermentation;
We ferment the grapes for a very long time to achieve high alcohol content
The vintner worked the wine in big oak vats

Work

Go sour or spoil;
The milk has soured
The wine worked
The cream has turned--we have to throw it out

Work

Arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion;
The stitches of the hem worked loose after she wore the skirt many times

Work

The place where one performs tasks.
His work is located downtown.

Work

The effort or activity directed toward a goal.
Her work in the community is well-regarded.

FAQs

What does work mean in the context of employment?

In employment, work refers to the tasks or duties performed as part of one's job.

Can working describe a continuous process?

Yes, working often describes an ongoing or continuous process of performing tasks.

Is work more general than working?

Yes, work is a more general term encompassing tasks, effort, and employment, while working specifies the action.

What is the main difference between work and working?

Work is a noun or verb referring to tasks or duties, while working is the present participle form describing the act of performing tasks.

How is work used in a sentence?

e.g., "She has a lot of work to finish today."

Can work be used as a verb?

Yes, work can be used as a verb meaning to engage in tasks or duties.

Is working always used as a verb?

Yes, working is always used as a verb form, either as a present participle or a gerund.

How is working used in a sentence?

e.g., "He is working late tonight."

Does work have multiple meanings?

Yes, work can refer to tasks, employment, a place of employment, effort, or the product of effort.

Is there a difference in temporal focus between work and working?

Yes, work can refer to a general state or result, while working focuses on the ongoing action.

What does working imply about the nature of the activity?

Working implies an ongoing effort or process in performing tasks.

Is working used in idiomatic expressions?

Yes, working is used in idiomatic expressions like "working around the clock."

How does context determine the meaning of work?

Context determines whether work refers to tasks, employment, place, effort, or product.

How is work related to professional tasks?

Work often refers to professional tasks or duties performed in employment.

What does working imply about the state of effort?

Working implies an active, ongoing state of effort.

How does work relate to the product of effort?

Work can refer to the result or product of one's efforts, such as a completed project.

Can working describe the functioning of machines?

Yes, working can describe the operating state of machines, such as "The engine is working properly."

What aspect of action does working emphasize?

Working emphasizes the continuous action or process of performing tasks.

Can work refer to a place?

Yes, work can refer to a place where one performs tasks, such as an office.

Can work and working be used interchangeably?

No, work and working are not interchangeable as they serve different grammatical functions and meanings.
About Author
Written by
Janet White
Janet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Co-written by
Aimie Carlson
Aimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.

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