working
English meaning: Working
Definition
Present participle of 'work': showing that someone is doing a job or that something is functioning now.
Example
“He is working from home today because the office is being painted this whole week.”
Another example: “The engineers kept working through the night to fix the system.”
Usage — When, Where & How
The present participle and gerund of 'work', used in continuous tenses ('I am working') and as an adjective ('working hours', 'a working model'); everyday register, also in compounds like 'working class'.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Old English 'wyrcan', with the '-ing' ending forming the present participle.
Synonyms
Antonyms / Opposites
Related Words
Common Collocations
- working hard
- working hours
- working class
- working together
- still working
- working order
Word Forms
work (v); working; worked; works
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B