Job — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈjäb/ (noun) /ˈjōb/ (noun)

Meaning & Definition of Job

Job (noun)

  1. a regular remunerative position
  2. a specific duty, role, or function
  3. something that has to be done, task
  4. the hero of the book of Job who endures afflictions with fortitude and faith
  5. a narrative and poetic book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture

Job (verb)

  1. to do odd or occasional pieces of work for hire
  2. to carry on public business for private gain
  3. to carry on the business of a middleman or wholesaler

Job (adjective)

  1. of or relating to a job or to employment
  2. used in, engaged in, or done as job work
  3. that is for hire for a given service or period

Job (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an assignment at which one regularly works for pay

    "a high-paying job as a banker"

    similar: appointment, berth, billet, capacity, connection, function, place, position, post, situation
    related: business, employ, employment, occupation, profession, work, office, spot, calling, pursuit, trade, vocation, line, racket, engagement, gig, livelihood, living, career, lifework, practice, duty, mission, posting, service, task
    near: avocation, joblessness, unemployment

  2. a piece of work that needs to be done regularly

    "taking the trash out is one of my jobs"

    similar: assignment, chore, duty, task
    related: chare, endeavor, enterprise, project, stint, undertaking, care, charge, commission, responsibility, function, mission, office, operation, post, errand, circuit, round, route

  3. a specific task with which a person or group is charged

    "your job on this committee is to review the curriculum and suggest changes"

    similar: assignment, brief, business, charge, detail, mission, operation, post
    related: burden, chore, duty, need, obligation, office, requirement, responsibility, errand, labor, work, commitment, pledge, promise, appointment, commission, designation, nomination, compulsion, constraint, restraint

  4. the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists

    "a coffeemaker's job is to make coffee, and this overpriced machine doesn't do it very well"

    similar: business, capacity, function, part, place, position, purpose, role, task, work
    related: affair, concern, hand, involvement, participation, niche, office, post, situation, calling, occupation, pursuit, vocation, activity, assignment, charge, commission, duty, employ, mission, responsibility, service, use

  5. a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work

    "boy, doing all that filing was a real job"

    similar: bear, beast, chore, headache, killer, labor
    related: drudgery, grind, heavy lifting, lucubration, effort, strain, sweat, burden, load, weight, bother, nuisance, trouble
    near: breeze, child's play, cinch, duck soup, kid stuff, setup, snap

Job (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in contract, partner

    similar: apprentice, contract, partner, subcontract, assume, employ, engage, fee (chiefly Scottish), hire, lay on (chiefly British), pay, place, recruit, retain, sign (up or on), take on, reemploy, reengage, rehire, enlist, advance, promote, upgrade, keep (on), headhunt, scout
    opposite: furlough, lay off, lock out, ax, can, discharge, dismiss, fire, sack

Related Entry: Job action (noun)

Job action is a different word from Job. The synonyms below are for job action, not for job.

  1. as in slowdown, sit-in

    similar: go-slow (British), sick-out, sit-down, sit-in, slowdown, sympathetic strike, sympathy strike, lockout, strike, walkout

Related Entry: Job actions (noun)

Job actions is a different word from Job. The synonyms below are for job actions, not for job.

  1. as in slowdowns, sit-ins

    similar: go-slows (British), sick-outs, sit-downs, sit-ins, slowdowns, sympathetic strikes, sympathy strikes, lockouts, strikes, walkouts

Related Entry: Job lot (noun)

Job lot is a different word from Job. The synonyms below are for job lot, not for job.

  1. as in hard goods, stuff

    similar: inventory, staples, stock, stuff, supply, commodity, goods, merchandise, wares, domestics, durables, hard goods, export, import, line

Related Entry: Hatchet job (noun)

Hatchet job is a different word from Job. The synonyms below are for hatchet job, not for job.

  1. as in attack, criticism

    similar: attack, censure, criticism, denunciation, abuse, invective, vituperation, contempt, disdain, scorn, backbiting, detraction, belittlement, denigration, disparagement, aspersion, innuendo, muck, mud, smear, cattiness, despite, hatefulness, malevolence, malice, maliciousness, malignancy, malignity, meanness, nastiness, spite, spitefulness, spleen, venom, viciousness, aspersing, blackening, calumniation, calumny, character assassination, defamation, defaming, libel, libeling, maligning, slander, smearing, traducing, vilification, vilifying
    opposite: acclaim, accolade, applause, commendation, praise, esteem, honor, respect, adulation, flattery, adoration, reverence, veneration, worship

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Job

The most common words with a similar meaning to Job:

Chiefly Scottish: fee
Chiefly British: lay on
appointment, berth, billet, capacity, connection, function, place, position, post, situation, assignment, chore, duty, task, brief, business, charge, detail, mission, operation, part, purpose, role, work, bear, beast, headache, killer, labor, apprentice, contract, partner, subcontract, assume, employ, engage, hire, pay, recruit, retain

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Job

Words with the opposite meaning of Job:

furlough, lay off, lock out, ax, can, discharge, dismiss, fire, sack

Related Words for Job

employment, occupation, profession, office, spot, calling, pursuit, trade, vocation, line, racket, engagement, gig, livelihood, living, career, lifework, practice, posting, service, chare, endeavor, enterprise, project, stint, undertaking, care, commission, responsibility, errand

Near Antonyms of Job

avocation, joblessness, unemployment, breeze, child's play, cinch, duck soup, kid stuff, setup, snap

Word Forms of Job

Inflections: jobs, jobbed, jobbing

Origin & Etymology of Job

of uncertain origin

First known use: circa 1558

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Job

Words & Phrases Containing Job

job action, job-hopping, job lot, Job's comforter, Job's tears, job fair

Frequently Asked Questions about Job

What does "Job" mean?

"Job" means a regular remunerative position. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a regular remunerative position. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Job"?

Other words for "Job" include appointment, berth, billet, capacity, connection, function, place and position. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Job" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Job"?

There are 119 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Job". Common alternatives include appointment, berth, billet, capacity, connection, function, place, position, post and situation.

What is the opposite of "Job"?

Antonyms of "Job" include furlough, lay off, lock out, ax, can, discharge, dismiss and fire. Near antonyms include avocation, joblessness, unemployment and breeze.

How do you use "Job" in a sentence?

Examples of "Job" in a sentence: "a high-paying job as a banker"; "taking the trash out is one of my jobs"; "your job on this committee is to review the curriculum and suggest changes".

Is "Job" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Job" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Job" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Job" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Job"?

"Job" is pronounced /ˈjäb/ as a noun and /ˈjōb/ as a noun.