English (UK)   Change
Follow us
Choose a dictionary
Contents
My word lists

Add job to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

More
Go to your word lists
Tell us about this example sentence:

Meaning of job in English

job
noun
uk

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
/dʒɒb/ us

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
/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.
Synonyms
appointment (JOB)
position (RANK)
post (JOB)
situation old use
Compare
employment (WORK)
work noun (ACTIVITY)
 out of a job
C2
without a job:
How long have you been out of a job?
Synonym
unemployed
More examples
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Unemployment

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.
UK 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
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Work, working and the workplace
See more results »

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
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Duty, obligation and responsibility
See more results »

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
See more results »

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
See more results »

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 informal
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Stealing
See more results »

Idioms

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
(Definition of job from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

job | American Dictionary

job
noun [ C ]
us

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
/dʒɑb/

job noun [C] (EMPLOYMENT)

the regular work that a person does to earn money:
a full-time/part-time/permanent/temporary job
to get/quit a job
The new supermarket will create 50 new jobs in the area.
She’s applied for a job with an insurance company.
How long have you been out of a job (= unemployed)?
 on the job
If you do something on the job, you do it while at work:
He keeps falling asleep on the job.
The company provides on-the-job training (= training while you work).

job noun [C] (PIECE OF WORK)

a particular piece of work:
I should have this job done by lunchtime.
A microwave oven makes the job of preparing meals a lot easier.
infml A job can be work done on or to something to improve or repair it:
a paint job
If you do a good/bad job, you do a piece of work of that quality:
Jamie did a wonderful job on that sales presentation.

job noun [C] (DUTY)

a responsibility or duty:
[ + to infinitive ] I know it’s not my job to tell you how to run your life, but I do think you’ve made a mistake.

job noun [C] (CRIME)

slang
a crime in which money or goods are stolen:
a bank job
an inside job (= a crime committed by someone who works for the company it was committed against)
(Definition of job from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

job | Business English

job
noun [ C ]
uk

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
/dʒɒb/ us

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
the regular work that someone does to earn money:
a job with sth She applied for a job with an advertising agency.
Many people found themselves out of a job as a consequence of the global recession.
have/get/take a job
apply for/look for/find a job
create/cut/shed jobs The government is creating new job opportunities for mothers returning to the workplace.
leave/quit/lose a job
a paid/unpaid/well-paid job
The deputy Chairman has been appointed to the top job.
first/new job
a full-time/part-time job
a permanent/temporary/steady job
a Saturday/weekend job
a particular piece of work or task that needs to be done or achieved:
the job of doing sth The job of redesigning the offices went to the lowest bidder.
The company continues to send many of its accounting and computer jobs to India.
Larger firms enjoy economies of scale, which means they can do the job cheaper.
Staff are currently paid by the job regardless of the time it takes.
a responsibility that someone or something has:
It's not my job to deal with staff's personal problems.
The assembly's main job is to draft a constitution.
IT
a task which is done by a computer program:
a print job
 do a good/bad/better, etc. job of sth (also make a good/bad/better, etc. job of sth)
to do something well, badly, better, etc.:
We need to do a better job of marketing the product.
 don't give up the day job informal humorous
used for telling someone that they will never be successful with something they are trying to do and should keep doing their real job instead
 jobs for the boys UK disapproving
work that someone in a position of power gives to friends or relations:
Labour sharply criticized the board's appointment of the former trade minister as an example of jobs for the boys.
 it's more than my job's worth UK
used for telling someone that you cannot do something because you would lose your job if someone discovered you had done it:
It's more than my job's worth to let you into the building after hours.
 on the job
where someone works and while they do their job:
Sixteen coal miners died on the job last year.
 walk off the job US
to stop working and refuse to continue doing your job until your employer agrees to what you want:
Union members threatened to walk off the job unless their employer agreed to stop hiring work out to contractors.

See also

dead-end job
desk job
off-the-job
on-the-job
job
verb [ I ]
uk

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
/dʒɒb/ us

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
to do work for different people without being employed by them permanently:
job about/around/for After drama school, he spent eight years jobbing about from show to show.
See also
jobbing adjective

Phrasal verb

job sth out
(Definition of job from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of job

in Chinese (Traditional)
in Japanese
in Turkish
in French
in Catalan
in Arabic
in Czech
in Danish
in Indonesian
in Thai
in Vietnamese
in Polish
in Malay
in German
in Norwegian
in Korean
in Portuguese
in Chinese (Simplified)
in Italian
in Russian
in Spanish
僱用, 工作, 職業…
See more
職, 仕事, 役目…
See more
iş, görev, sorumluluk…
See more
travail, emploi, tâche…
See more
feina, tasca…
See more
مِهْنة, عَمَل, واجِب…
See more
zaměstnání, práce, úkol…
See more
job, arbejde, ting…
See more
pekerjaan, tugas…
See more
การงาน, อาชีพ, งาน…
See more
việc làm, việc…
See more
praca, obowiązek…
See more
kerja, hal…
See more
die Arbeit, die Aufgabe…
See more
jobb, arbeid, oppgave…
See more
직업, 일…
See more
emprego, trabalho, tarefa…
See more
雇用, 工作, 职业…
See more
lavoro, compito, dovere…
See more
работа, дело, обязанность…
See more
empleo, trabajo, tarea…
See more
Need a translator?

Get a quick, free translation!

Translator tool
What is the pronunciation of job?

Browse

jive
jived
jiving
Jnr
job
job acceptance
job action
job advertisement
job agency

Word of the Day

blow off steam

to do or say something that helps you to get rid of strong feelings or energy

About this

Blog

Seeing red and green with envy (Idioms with colours, part 1)

New Words

cleanliness theatre
More new words
has been added to list
To top
Contents
EnglishAmericanBusinessTranslations
Get our free widgets
Add the power of Cambridge Dictionary to your website using our free search box widgets.
Dictionary apps
Browse our dictionary apps today and ensure you are never again lost for words.