job

UK: 'job': /ˈdʒɒb/; 'Job': /'dʒəʊb/

US: /dʒɑb/

US: 'job': ( job); 'Job': (jōb)

Inflections of 'job' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

jobs

v 3rd person singular

jobbing

v pres p

jobbed

v past

jobbed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

job¹ /dʒɑb/   n. 

[countable]
1. a piece of work to do, esp. a specific task done as part of one's occupation or for an agreed price:
   had the job of mowing the lawn every Saturday.
2. a position one holds as one's occupation or employment:
   landed a good job.
3. a responsibility;
   duty:
   It is your job to be on time.
4. the performance of a task:
   to do a good job.
5. a state of affairs;
   matter:
   to make the best of a bad job.
6. a difficult task:
   We had quite a job getting him to agree.
7. Slang Terms [Informal.] an example of a specific type:
   That little sports job is a great car.
8. [Slang.] a theft or similar crime:
   pulled off a job.
9. Computing a unit of work for a computer printer:
   a print job.

adj. [before a noun]

10. of or relating to employment:
    job security.

Idioms

11. Idioms do a job on, [~ + object] to affect destructively:
    the loss of his wife really did a job on him.
12. Idioms on the job, while working;
    at work:
    He got that injury on the job.

job•less, adj. 
job•less•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

job¹  ( job), n., v., jobbed, job•bing, adj. 
n. 

1. a piece of work, esp. a specific task done as part of the routine of one's occupation or for an agreed price:
   She gave him the job of mowing the lawn.
2. a post of employment;
   full-time or part-time position:
   She was seeking a job as an editor.
3. anything a person is expected or obliged to do;
   duty;
   responsibility:
   It is your job to be on time.
4. an affair, matter, occurrence, or state of affairs:
   to make the best of a bad job.
5. the material, project, assignment, etc., being worked upon:
   The housing project was a long and costly job.
6. the process or requirements, details, etc., of working:
   It was a tedious job.
7. the execution or performance of a task:
   She did a good job.
8. [Slang.] a theft or similar criminal action:
   The police caught the gang that pulled that bank job.
9. a public or official act or decision carried through for the sake of improper private gain.
10. Slang Terms an example of a specific or distinctive type:
    That little six-cylinder job was the best car I ever owned.
11. Computing a unit of work for a computer, generally comprising an application program or group of related programs and the data, linkages, and instructions to the operating system needed for running the programs.
12. Idioms do a job on, [Slang.]
    • to destroy, defeat, damage, or confound thoroughly:
      The thugs did a job on him--he'll be in the hospital for a month.
    • to deceive, persuade, or charm glibly;
      snow.
13. Idioms on the job, alert;
    observant:
    The cops were on the job and caught them red-handed.

v.i. 

14. to work at jobs or odd pieces of work;
    work by the piece.
15. to do business as a jobber.
16. to turn public business, planning, etc., improperly to private gain.

v.t. 

17. to assign or give (work, a contract for work, etc.) in separate portions, as among different contractors or workers (often fol. by out):
    He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits.
18. to buy in large quantities, as from wholesalers or manufacturers, and sell to dealers in smaller quantities:
    He jobs shoes in Ohio and Indiana.
19. to get rid of or dispose of:
    His party jobbed him when he sought a second term in office.
20. to swindle or trick (someone):
    They jobbed him out of his property.
21. to carry on (public or official business) for improper private gain.

adj. 

22. of or for a particular job or transaction.
23. bought, sold, or handled together:
    He's too big a customer to buy in less than job quantities.

• 1620–30; 1935–40 for def. 16; origin, originally uncertain

Synonyms

• 1. See task. 
• 2. See position. 

job²  ( job), v.t., v.i., jobbed, job•bing, n. 

1. jab.

• Middle English jobben, of uncertain origin, originally 1480–90

Job  ( jōb), n. 

1. Bible the central figure in an Old Testament parable of the righteous sufferer.
2. Bible a book of the Bible bearing his name.
3. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning "persecuted.''

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

job / dʒɒb/ noun

1. an individual piece of work or task
2. an occupation; post of employment
3. an object worked on or a result produced from working
4. a duty or responsibility: her job was to control the budget
5. a difficult task or problem: I had a job to contact him
6. a state of affairs: make the best of a bad job, it's a good job I saw you
7. a crime, esp a robbery or burglary
8. an article or specimen: the new car was a nice little job
9. a unit of work for a computer consisting of a single complete task submitted by a user
10. jobs for the boys ⇒ appointments given to or created for allies or favourites
11. on the job ⇒ actively engaged in one's employment
12. just the job ⇒ exactly what was required

verb (jobs, jobbing, jobbed)

1. (intransitive) to work by the piece or at casual jobs
2. to make a private profit out of (a public office, etc)
3. (intransitive) usually followed by in: to buy and sell (goods or services) as a middleman: he jobs in government surplus
4. to buy and sell stocks and shares as a stockjobber

Etymology: 16th Century: of uncertain origin

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Job / dʒəʊb/ noun

1. a Jewish patriarch, who maintained his faith in God in spite of the afflictions sent by God to test him
2. the book containing Job's pleas to God under these afflictions, attempted explanations of them by his friends, and God's reply to him
3. any person who withstands great suffering without despairing