Standard Lemma guide

jobsworth

noun · 1 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒɒbzwɜːθ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-wəθ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈd͡ʒɑbzˌwɝθ/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who upholds trivial rules unnecessarily and obstructively in order to exercise their (typically minor) authority.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, derogatory, informal

Examples

  • The usual council jobsworths came down to tell them to stop playing football.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

A compound of job + -s- + worth, derived from the phrase “It’s more than me job’s worth” or “... my job’s worth” as used in denial of a request by a functionary, chiefly popularized by Jeremy Taylor's 1973 song “Jobsworth” and the 1973–1994 BBC television series That’s Life! which focused on consumer affairs and gave a “Jobsworth of the Week” award to “a startling tale of going by the book”.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 小官僚 (xiǎoguānliáo) — minor official or worker who refuses to be flexible in the application of rules to help a client or customer
  • Chinese Mandarin: 刻板得不近人情的官員 /刻板得不近人情的官员 (kèbǎndebújìnrénqíngdeguányuán) — minor official or worker who refuses to be flexible in the application of rules to help a client or customer
  • Dutch: pennenlikker — minor official or worker who refuses to be flexible in the application of rules to help a client or customer
  • Mon: ၚုဟ်မးကမၠောန် — minor official or worker who refuses to be flexible in the application of rules to help a client or customer