jobnoun
uk/dʒɒb/us/dʒɑːb/job noun (EMPLOYMENT)
A1 [ C ] the regular work that a person does to earn money:
a temporary/permanent job
When she left college, she got a job as an editor in a publishing company.
It's very difficult trying to bring up two children while doing a full-time job.
He's never managed to hold down (= keep) a steady (= permanent) job.
She's applied for a job with an insurance company.
Are you going to give up your job when you have your baby?
After a disastrous first month in office, many people are beginning to wonder if the new president is up to (= able to do) the job.
Hundreds of workers could lose their jobs.
out of a job
C2 without a job:
How long have you been out of a job?
Synonym
unemployed
More examples
- I've applied for an office job I saw advertised in the paper.
- How is Mary enjoying her new job?
- It's a tragedy that so many young people are unable to find jobs.
- The company plans to shut down four factories and cut 10 000 jobs.
- Increasing the number of women in top management jobs will be a slow process.
job noun (PIECE OF WORK)
A2 [ C ] a particular piece of work:
The builders are aiming to get the job done by the end of the month.
He spent the afternoon doing jobs around the house.
informal Will you be able to carry all the shopping back home on your bike, or will it have to be a car job (= will you need the car)?
More examples
- They were working like crazy to get the job done on time.
- I've got plenty of jobs to keep you busy.
- He's really good at tricky painting jobs.
- I spent the afternoon pottering around the garden doing a few odd jobs.
- Hey - you did a great job tidying your bedroom. Well done!
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Work, working and the workplace
- a long way to go idiom
- act as sth 1
- act as sth
- all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
- assignment
- cabin
- hold down a job idiom
- hoop
- hot desk
- hot-desking
- hotelling
- housekeeping
- labour
- slouch
- spadework
- stroke
- sweat
- sweat over sth
- swing into action idiom
- temp
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job noun (RESPONSIBILITY)
B2 [ S ] something that is your responsibility:
[ + to infinitive ] She believed her job as a politician was to represent the views of her party and the people who voted for her.
I know it's not my job to tell you how to run your life, but I do think you've made a mistake.
More examples
- It's my job to keep a check on stock levels.
- It is the job of the inspectors to enforce compliance with the regulations.
- I don't envy you the job of cooking for all those people.
- Whose job was it to bring the tickets?
- It was my job to make sure there was enough food to go round.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Duty, obligation and responsibility
- accountable
- answer for sb/sth
- answer for sth
- answer to sb
- answerable
- brother
- commitment
- fail
- have sth on your hands idiom
- I am not my brother's keeper idiom
- in the hot seat idiom
- incharge
- it's your own lookout idiom
- portfolio
- responsible
- risk
- saddle sb with sth
- social contract
- stick
- stick sb with sth
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job noun (PROBLEM)
[ S ] informal a problem or an activity that is difficult:
[ + -ing verb ] It was a real job getting the wheel off the bike.
We were only given an hour for the exam, and I had a job finishing it.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Difficult things and people
- a (heavy) cross to bear idiom
- a bitter pill (to swallow) idiom
- a hard/tough nut to crack idiom
- albatross
- bane
- chill
- equation
- handicap
- hiccup
- hot potato
- impediment
- labyrinth
- liability
- life's a bitch (and then you die) idiom
- nut
- the chill wind of sth idiom
- the hard way idiom
- the sharp end
- thorn in your flesh/side idiom
- tie-up
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job noun (EXAMPLE)
[ C ] informal an example of a particular type:
It's an original, not one of those imitation jobs.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Samples and examples
- advertisement
- aliquot
- archetype
- benchmark
- classic
- classical
- core
- cross-section
- for instance idiom
- forerunner
- illustration
- instance
- original
- role model
- sample
- showpiece
- sort
- swatch
- taste
- taster
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job noun (CRIME)
[ C ] slang a crime in which money or goods are stolen, or an action or activity that is dishonest or unpleasant:
He was put in prison for five years for doing a bank job.
US He really did a job on her, telling her that he would always love her and then moving to Fiji with someone else.
See also
hatchet job
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Stealing
- abscond
- aggravated burglary
- appropriate
- armed robbery
- break in/break into sth
- duff
- liberate
- light-fingered
- loot
- looting
- make off with sth
- mug
- relieve
- rob
- robbery
- run off with sth
- scrump
- shoplifting
- sting
- whip
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Idiom(s)
be just the job
do a good/bad job
do the job
do/make a good/bad job of sth
good job!
it's more than my job's worth
job done
jobs for the boys
just the man/woman for the job
on-the-job