job
[noun]
Synonyms:
- task, assignment, chore, duty, enterprise, errand, undertaking, venture
- occupation, business, calling, career, employment, livelihood, profession, vocation

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Related Words: affair, concern, matter, thing, assignment, engagement, posting, calling, employment, occupation, pursuit, profession, trade, vocation, niche, opening, slot

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English Thesaurus: job, work, profession, occupation, career, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

Job /dʒəʊb $ dʒoʊb/

1. in the Old Testament of the Bible, a man who continued to have faith in God even though God destroyed his property and his family

2. Job’s comforter someone who tries to make you feel more cheerful, but actually makes you feel worse

3. have the patience of Job to be extremely patient

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

job S1 W1 AC /dʒɒb $ dʒɑːb/ noun
[Word Family: noun: job, jobless; adjective: jobless]
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Perhaps from job 'piece, lump' (15-17 centuries)]

1. WORK [countable] the regular paid work that you do for an employer:
Do you enjoy your job?
It was the first paid job I ever had.
He’s been in the job for six years.
I’m looking for a new job.
Your pension can be affected if you change jobs. ⇒ job description

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually ask What do you do? or What does she/he do? when asking what someone’s job is.

2. DUTY [singular] something that you are responsible for doing:
Raising kids can be a difficult job.
It’s my job to make sure that the work is finished on time.
the job of somebody/something
The job of the jury is to assess the credibility of the witness.
the job of doing something
I was given the job of making sure that everyone had enough to drink.
All too often councils fall down on the job (=not do what they should) of keeping the streets clean.

REGISTER
In written English, people often prefer to use task or duty rather than job, as they sound more formal:
Our first task was to prepare the agenda for the meeting.

3. SOMETHING YOU MUST DO [countable] a particular thing you have to do, considered as work Synonym : task:
My parents were always finding little jobs for me to do.
Filleting fish can be quite a fiddly job.
Tiling the bathroom is going to be a big job.
Sam does odd jobs (=small jobs in the house or garden) for friends and neighbours.
the job of doing something
The job of choosing the right computer for you is made easy by this magazine.
We need to get on with the job of finding someone to replace him.
do a good/great/marvellous etc job
Whoever did the plastering did a brilliant job.
make a good/bad etc job of (doing) something
She hates doing the cleaning, but she always makes a good job of it.

4. on the job
a) while you are doing a particular job:
Most clerical training is done on the job.
b) doing a particular job:
We’ve got some of our best people on the job.
c) British English spoken informal having sex

5. I’m only/just doing my job spoken used to say that it is not your fault if you have to do something in your work that other people do not like

6. it’s more than my job’s worth British English spoken used to tell someone that you cannot do what they want because you would lose your job if you did – often used humorously

7. do the job spoken to have the effect or produce the result that you want:
A little more glue should do the job.

8. job done informal used to say that someone has done something that was necessary, especially quickly and easily:
When we scored three times in the first half, we thought, ‘Job done.’

9. have a job doing something/have a job to do something British English spoken to have difficulty doing something:
I think we might have a job parking in town.

10. do a job on somebody/something especially American English informal to have a damaging effect on someone or something:
The sun does quite a job on people’s skin.

11. COMPUTER [countable] an action done by a computer:
a print job

12. CRIME [countable] informal a crime in which money is stolen from a bank, company etc:
a bank job
Police believe it was an inside job (=done by someone who works for the company where the crime happens).

13. a nose/boob job informal an operation to improve the appearance of your nose or breasts:
She looks completely different in this photo – she must have had a nose job.

14. just the job British English spoken exactly what is needed for a particular purpose or situation:
This bag is just the job for carrying your sports gear.

15. TYPE OF THING [singular] spoken used to say that something is of a particular type:
Jack’s got a new car – a red two-seater job.

16. jobs for the boys British English when someone in an important position gives work to their friends, especially when this gives the friends an unfair advantage:
The council chief was suspended over allegations of jobs for the boys.

17. job of work British English something that you have to do even if you do not enjoy it

18. job lot British English a mixed group of things that are sold together:
a job lot of furniture
⇒ blow job, hand job, hatchet job, ⇒ (it’s a) good job at good¹(49), ⇒ make the best of a bad job at best³(9)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

job
noun
I. employment
ADJ. high-powered, top It's one of the top jobs in management.
decent, good, worthwhile | interesting | plum The plum jobs all went to friends of the prime minister. | cushy His father found him a cushy job in the office, with almost nothing to do and a whacking great salary.
dream, ideal What would be your dream job?
boring, dead-end, menial, routine, undemanding He was forced to take a series of menial jobs.
challenging, demanding, difficult, taxing | highly-paid, well-paid | badly-paid, low-paid | full-time, part-time | 9-to-5 | regular, steady He was tempted to give up freelancing and get a regular job.
permanent, temporary | holiday, summer, vac/vacation | evening, Saturday, weekend | paid, unpaid | manual, non-manual | semi-skilled, skilled, unskilled | blue-collar, white-collar | desk a desk job in the police housing department
proper He'd done lots of part-time work, but this was his first proper job.
manufacturing, teaching
VERB + JOB have She's got a very good job with a local firm of solicitors.
look for | apply for, go for | find, get, land, take She got a temporary job stacking shelves. He's just landed himself a highly-paid job in the City.
lose He's frightened of losing his job. | give up, pack in, resign from | hold down, keep He's always had difficulty holding down a job.
advertise I saw the job advertised on the Internet.
interview (sb) for We're interviewing for the job in the Sales Department.
give sb, offer sb | create, provide (sb with) It is hoped that the scheme will create new jobs in the region.
axe, cut, shed Management are hoping to shed 200 jobs.
protect, safeguard The deal between the union and management should safeguard 6,000 jobs.
do I'm only doing my job (= doing what I am paid to do).
know He certainly knows his job (= is very good at his job).
JOB + VERB pay The job doesn't pay very well.
go 250 jobs are to go at the local steel plant.
JOB + NOUN search The first step in a job search is to prepare an up-to-date CV.
ad, advertisement | vacancy | application | interview | title His job title is Chief Hygiene Operative.
description, specifications Cleaning the office is not in my job description.
market There is an enormous job market for teachers at the moment.
cuts, losses | creation | opportunities, prospects | satisfaction How would you rate your job satisfaction?
security Workers questioned rated job security as being more important than high salary.
hunter, seeker Local companies are holding an open day for job seekers.
sharing The introduction of job sharing could prevent the need for redundancies.
PREP. in a/the ~ There's not much chance of promotion in a job like that.
on the ~ You will receive training on the job.
out of a ~ She found herself out of a job when her boss died.
~ as She's got a job as a waitress.
~ at She got a teaching job at the university.
~ for jobs for women | ~ in a job in food retailing a job in a large firm
~ with He moved to a better-paid job with another employer.
PHRASES a loss of jobs The closure of the cement factory will mean the loss of over 800 jobs.
the right person for the job Despite the small number of applicants, they managed to find the right person for the job.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

job
II. task
ADJ. admirable, amazing, excellent, fine, first-rate, good, grand, magnificent, marvellous, professional, terrific, thorough, wonderful | difficult, hard, tough They gave me the tough job of telling applicants that they'd been rejected.
easy | important | big, long | little, small | fiddly, tedious fiddly little jobs like wiring plugs
dirty | unenviable Cooper had the unenviable job of announcing the redundancies.
VERB + JOB do, make You've done a grand job with that decorating. Try wedging it open?that should do the job (= be effective/successful). She made a very good job of covering up the damage.
have (on) You'll have a hard job convincing them that you're right. The builder has a couple of jobs on at the moment.
give sb | take on She's taken on the job of organizing the Christmas party.
get on with I want to get on with the job of painting my room today.
PREP. ~ in The author has done an admirable job in compiling all this material.
~ of He made a very professional job of replacing the windows.
~ on You've done a good job on the car.
PHRASES get a job done We're hoping to get the job done this weekend.
odd jobs (= small, practical jobs) I spend most Saturdays doing odd jobs around the house.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

job
III. crime
ADJ. bank | inside (= done by sb in the organization where the crime happens)
VERB + JOB do He got six months for that last job he did.
bungle The gang bungled the job and got caught.

NOTE jobs

be, work as ~    She's a well-known writer.    Her father, a trained chef, now works as a bus driver. study to be, train as, train to be ~    She trained as a painter and sculptor. start (work) as ~    He started work as a trainee chef. become, qualify as ~    She qualified as a vet last year. employ (sb as), have    The company employs more than 1500 engineers. engage (sb as), get, hire (sb as), recruit, take on ~    They have recruited a new designer. appoint, appoint sb (as), make sb ~ are usually used with academic, official or highly responsible jobs:    He was appointed Professor of Law at Yale.    At 39 she was made chairman of the board. dismiss, fire, sack ~    The club have sacked their coach.     ⇒ See also the note at PROFESSIONAL

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

job

have a job
Mark doesn’t have a job right now.
apply for a job
I’ve applied for a job at the university.
offer somebody a job
Well, Miss Taylor, we’d like to offer you the job.
get/find a job
Eventually, Mary got a job as a waitress.
land a job (=get a job, especially unexpectedly)
My husband finally landed a job in marketing.
take a job (=accept a job you are offered)
I was so desperate that I took the first job that came along.
hold down a job (=keep a job)
He had never been able to hold down a job.
lose your job
At least there’s no danger of you losing your job.
leave/quit your job
Oh, Rick, you didn’t quit your job, did you?
be out of a job (=not have a job)
If the project fails, we’re all out of a job.
temporary/permanent
The job is only temporary, but I’m hoping it will be made permanent.
part-time/full-time
He had a part-time job at the pet shop.
a steady job (=a job that is likely to continue)
I haven’t had a steady job since last March.
a dead-end job (=a job with low wages and no chance of progress)
He had a series of dead-end jobs.
job satisfaction (=the enjoyment you get from your job)
Levels of job satisfaction vary between departments.
job security (=how permanent your job is likely to be)
As an actor, he has very little job security.
job losses/cuts
The factory is closing, with 600 job losses.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

job
noun
1.
BAD: The photographer made quite a good job.
GOOD: The photographer did quite a good job.
BAD: With the right tools, I could make the job in five minutes.
GOOD: With the right tools, I could do the job in five minutes.

Usage Note:
do a job (NOT make ): 'There are lots of jobs to do when we get home.' (= pieces of work) 'There's no need to thank me. I was just doing my job.' (= what I do to earn a living)
do a good/great/marvellous etc job : 'You can always rely on Charlie to do a good job.'
Note however the expression make a good/bad job of sth : 'She's made a good job of the decorating.' (= she has done it well)

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2.
BAD: I'm willing to accept any job, even a half-time one.
GOOD: I'm willing to accept any job, even a part-time one.

Usage Note:
JOB · DO · OCCUPATION · POST/POSITION · CAREER · TRADE · PROFESSION
Job Your job is what you do to earn your living: ‘You’ll never get a job if you don’t have any qualifications.’ ‘She’d like to change her job but can’t find anything better.’ Your job is also the particular type of work that you do: ‘John’s new job sounds really interesting.’ ‘I know she works for the BBC but I’m not sure what job she does.’
A job may be full-time or part-time (NOT half-time or half-day ): ‘All she could get was a part-time job at a petrol station.’
Do (for a living) When you want to know about the type of work that someone does, the usual questions are What do you do? What does she do for a living? etc ‘What does your father do?’ - ‘He’s a police inspector.’
Occupation and job have similar meanings. However, occupation is far less common than job and is used mainly in formal and official styles: ‘Please give brief details of your employment history and present occupation.’ ‘People in manual occupations seem to suffer less from stress.’
Post/position The particular job that you have in a company or organization is your post or position : ‘She’s been appointed to the post of deputy principal.’ ‘He’s applied for the position of sales manager.’ Post and position are used mainly in formal styles and often refer to jobs which have a lot of responsibility.
Career Your career is your working life, or the series of jobs that you have during your working life: ‘The scandal brought his career in politics to a sudden end.’ ‘Later on in his career, he became first secretary at the British Embassy in Washington.’
Your career is also the particular kind of work for which you are trained and that you intend to do for a long time: ‘I wanted to find out more about careers in publishing.’
Trade A trade is a type of work in which you do or make things with your hands: ‘Most of the men had worked in skilled trades such as carpentry or printing.’ ‘My grandfather was a bricklayer by trade.’
Profession A profession is a type of work such as medicine, teaching, or law which requires a high level of training or education: ‘Until recently, medicine has been a male-dominated profession.’ ‘She entered the teaching profession in 1987.’

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3.
DUBIOUS: What is your job?
GOOD: What do you do (for a living)?

Usage Note:
JOB · DO · OCCUPATION · POST/POSITION · CAREER · TRADE · PROFESSION
Job Your job is what you do to earn your living: ‘You’ll never get a job if you don’t have any qualifications.’ ‘She’d like to change her job but can’t find anything better.’ Your job is also the particular type of work that you do: ‘John’s new job sounds really interesting.’ ‘I know she works for the BBC but I’m not sure what job she does.’
A job may be full-time or part-time (NOT half-time or half-day ): ‘All she could get was a part-time job at a petrol station.’
Do (for a living) When you want to know about the type of work that someone does, the usual questions are What do you do? What does she do for a living? etc ‘What does your father do?’ - ‘He’s a police inspector.’
Occupation and job have similar meanings. However, occupation is far less common than job and is used mainly in formal and official styles: ‘Please give brief details of your employment history and present occupation.’ ‘People in manual occupations seem to suffer less from stress.’
Post/position The particular job that you have in a company or organization is your post or position : ‘She’s been appointed to the post of deputy principal.’ ‘He’s applied for the position of sales manager.’ Post and position are used mainly in formal styles and often refer to jobs which have a lot of responsibility.
Career Your career is your working life, or the series of jobs that you have during your working life: ‘The scandal brought his career in politics to a sudden end.’ ‘Later on in his career, he became first secretary at the British Embassy in Washington.’
Your career is also the particular kind of work for which you are trained and that you intend to do for a long time: ‘I wanted to find out more about careers in publishing.’
Trade A trade is a type of work in which you do or make things with your hands: ‘Most of the men had worked in skilled trades such as carpentry or printing.’ ‘My grandfather was a bricklayer by trade.’
Profession A profession is a type of work such as medicine, teaching, or law which requires a high level of training or education: ‘Until recently, medicine has been a male-dominated profession.’ ‘She entered the teaching profession in 1987.’

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

job noun [countable] the regular paid work that you do for an employer:
a full-time job
John got a job in a car factory.
work noun [uncountable] activities that you are paid for doing – used either when you work for an employer or when you work in your own business:
I started work when I was 18.
He graduated from college last year and is still looking for work.
profession noun [countable] a job for which you need special education and training:
There are now a lot more women in the legal profession.
Many teachers are leaving the profession.
occupation noun [countable] formal a job, or a type of job – often used on official documents:
Please give your name, age, and occupation.
a traditionally male occupation
career noun [countable] the work you do or plan to do for most of your life:
I’m interested in a career in journalism.
position noun [countable] formal a particular job within an organization:
I am writing to apply for the position of technical assistant.
We regret that the position has already been filled.
Please state the position which you are applying for.
post noun [countable] formal a job, especially an important one in a large organization:
She has held the post of managing director for two years.
He applied for the post of Senior Manager.
vacancy/opening noun [countable] a job that is available for someone to do:
The hospital has been unable to fill the vacancy.
There are very few openings in scientific research.
appointment noun [countable] an important job which someone is asked to do:
He took an appointment as US trade ambassador in Geneva.
posting noun [countable] a situation in which someone is sent somewhere to do a job for a period of time by the organization they work for:
This was his first posting outside the UK.
an overseas posting
His next posting took him to the Ministry of Defence.
trade noun [countable] a job that involves using your hands, and for which you need special training:
Most of the men had worked in skilled trades such as carpentry and printing.
employment noun [uncountable] the fact of having a job:
The factory will provide employment for local people.
She was offered employment in the sales office.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

job
̈ɪdʒɔb
See: do a job on , fall down on the job , lie down on the job , on the job

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲