Phrase guide

at work

prep_phrase · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Mid-Atlantic, US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see at, work. At one's workplace.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He's not home at the moment: he's at work.
  • They've got a new photocopier at work.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep_phrase

Meaning 2

Working, in the process of doing work.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Don't interrupt me while I'm at work on my housing project.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

prep_phrase

Meaning 3

At play, in action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: at work, working

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: töissä — at one's workplace
  • French: à pied d’œuvre — at one's workplace
  • French: au travail — at one's workplace
  • German: bei der Arbeit — at one's workplace
  • Italian: al lavoro — at one's workplace
  • Italian: sul lavoro — at one's workplace
  • Old English: on weorce — at one's workplace
  • Persian: سر کار (sar-e kâr) — at one's workplace
  • Russian: на рабо́те (na rabóte) — at one's workplace
  • Spanish: en el trabajo — at one's workplace
  • Danish: i arbejde — in the process of doing work
  • Dutch: aan het werk — in the process of doing work
  • Dutch: aan de slag — in the process of doing work
  • French: au travail — in the process of doing work
  • German: am Werk — in the process of doing work
  • Latin: in opere — in the process of doing work
  • Norwegian Bokmål: i arbeid — in the process of doing work
  • Old English: on weorce — in the process of doing work
  • Russian: за рабо́той (za rabótoj) — in the process of doing work
  • Spanish: de obras — in the process of doing work
  • Swedish: i arbete — in the process of doing work
  • Finnish: toiminnassa — at play, in action
  • French: à l'œuvre — at play, in action
  • Russian: в де́йствии (v déjstvii) — at play, in action