JOB Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'job' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of job are assignment , chore , duty , stint , and task . While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance. // the job of turning the company around

Q: When is it sensible to use 'assignment' instead of 'job'?

The words assignment and job can be used in similar contexts, but assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority. // a reporter's assignment

Q: When is 'chore' a more appropriate choice than 'job'?

While in some cases nearly identical to job , chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm. // every child was assigned chores

Q: In what contexts can 'duty' take the place of 'job'?

The words duty and job are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance. // the duties of a lifeguard

Q: When would 'stint' be a good substitute for 'job'?

While the synonyms stint and job are close in meaning, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service. // a 2-month stint as a reporter

Q: When could 'task' be used to replace 'job'?

The meanings of task and job largely overlap; however, task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance. // charged with a variety of tasks

job 1 of 2

noun

ˈjäb

Definition of job

as in position

an assignment at which one regularly works for pay a high-paying job as a banker

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in task

a piece of work that needs to be done regularly taking the trash out is one of my jobs

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in mission

a specific task with which a person or group is charged your job on this committee is to review the curriculum and suggest changes

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in role

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in headache

a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work boy, doing all that filing was a real job

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

job

2 of 2

verb

as in to partner

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun job contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of job are assignment, chore, duty, stint, and task. While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

the job of turning the company around

When is it sensible to use assignment instead of job?

The words assignment and job can be used in similar contexts, but assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

a reporter's assignment

When is chore a more appropriate choice than job?

While in some cases nearly identical to job, chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

every child was assigned chores

In what contexts can duty take the place of job?

The words duty and job are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

the duties of a lifeguard

When would stint be a good substitute for job?

While the synonyms stint and job are close in meaning, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

a 2-month stint as a reporter

When could task be used to replace job?

The meanings of task and job largely overlap; however, task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

charged with a variety of tasks

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of job

Noun

By giving each box the job of handling just a couple of these layers, the team was able to run Gemma entirely and get responses back from just the weak chips in these boxes. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026 Student organizers told Reuters that the protests are over higher education costs, a lack of financial support, conditions at universities and job prospects after graduating. — Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Verb

While the analysis examines the impact of slowing growth in 2026, the issue could have long-term ramifications on everything from the strength of the Social Security system to job opportunities for younger workers. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026 So how can job seekers stand out among the deluge of candidates? — IEEE Spectrum, 15 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for job

Recent Examples of Synonyms for job

Noun

Maintaining command-and-control links matters when troops rely on aerial sensors to gather information beyond their immediate positions.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Also, the fact that planets in this arrangement slide along their orbit and swap positions means that their positions in that orbit change, which, in turn, changes the timing of the transits.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of position

Noun

Jang Kwang-pil, executive vice president and head of the Future Technology Research Institute at HD KSOE, said the exercise confirmed the vessel’s ability to handle complex missions after leaving port.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
The country's Hayabusa mission brought home pieces of the asteroid Itokawa in 2010, for example, and Hayabusa2 did the same with material from the space rock Ryugu a decade later.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of mission

Noun

While Spain's government has defended Rabat's role in helping the return of the majority of the 80,000 who entered Ceuta, many in Spain, including police and some lawmakers, doubt that Rabat could not have known about the mass movement of people.

— JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Rusnak agreed that Democrats’ resurgence in Ohio is a result of national politics but added that the state’s candidates have played a role as well.

— Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of role

Noun

The biggest headache for Thune was the Save America Act, a voter ID bill that lacked a strategy to become law in the Senate.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
In Meta’s case, creepy video-recording incidents and privacy-light tampering have caused severe headaches for the company.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of headache

Noun

After all, a few additional years of employment can translate to more savings, fewer years of withdrawals and a bigger Social Security benefit.

— John Csiszar, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
Emerge continues to provide employment support for 12 months after placement.

— Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of employment

Noun

Donald is taking on a support role with BBC Studios alongside his day-to-day duties running his Cosmopolitan Pictures indie.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
At a news conference, Ali Daamoush accused the Lebanese state of failing to carry out its duties to help the displaced.

— Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of duty

Browse Nearby Words

jiving

job

job action

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Job.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/job. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of job

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Should you 'quit' or 'resign'?

It's a Living: Last Names That Started...

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of job

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to job

Should you 'quit' or 'resign'?

It's a Living: Last Names That Started...

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes