| Main Entry: | labor |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | work very hard |
Synonyms: |
bear down, cultivate, drive, drudge, endeavor, exert oneself, grind, plod, plug away, pour it on, slave, strain, strive, struggle, sweat, tend, toil, travail, work oneself to the bone |
Antonyms: |
idle, laze, relax |
| Main Entry: | act |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | do something |
Synonyms: |
accomplish, achieve, begin, carry on, carry out, consummate, cook, create, develop, do, do a number, do one's thing, enforce, execute, function, get in there, go about, go for broke, go for it, go in for, go that route, go to town, intrude, knock off, labor, make progress, maneuver, move, officiate, operate, percolate*, perk*, perpetrate, persevere, persist, practice, preside, pursue, respond, serve, take effect, take part, take steps, take up, transort, undertake, work out |
| Notes: | an act is the main dramatic unit and a scene is a division within an act |
Antonyms: |
abstain, cease, discontinue, give up, halt, hesitate, idle, refrain, stop |
| Main Entry: | agonize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | suffer or cause another to suffer |
Synonyms: |
afflict, bleed, carry on, crucify, distress, disturb, eat heart out, excruciate, harrow, hurt, labor, lament, martyr, pain, rack, sing the blues, squirm, stew over, strain, strive, struggle, take it badly, torment, torture, try, wince, worry, writhe |
Antonyms: |
not worry |
| Main Entry: | cultivate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | develop land for growing |
Synonyms: |
breed, crop, dress, farm, fertilize, garden, harvest, labor, manage, mature, plant, plow, prepare, propagate, raise, ripen, seed, tend, till, work |
Antonyms: |
destroy, ignore, neglect |
| Main Entry: | drudge |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | work very hard |
Synonyms: |
back to the salt mines, dig, grind*, hammer*, keep nose to grindstone, labor, muck, perform, plod, plow, plug away, pound*, schlepp, slave, slog, sweat, toil, travail |
Antonyms: |
avoid, be lazy, dodge, hesitate, idle |
| Main Entry: | employed |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | working |
Synonyms: |
active, at it, at work, busy, engaged, hired, in a job, in collar, in harness, in place, inked, laboring, occupied, on board, on duty, on the job, on the payroll, operating, plugging away, selected, signed |
Antonyms: |
idle, inactive, unemployed, unengaged, unoccupied |
| Main Entry: | endeavor |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attempt to achieve something |
Synonyms: |
address, aim, apply, aspire, assay, bid for, buck, determine, dig, do one's best, drive at, essay, go for broke, go for, grind, hammer away, hassle, have a crack, have a shot at, have a swing at, hump, hustle, intend, labor, make a run at, make an effort, offer, peg away, plug, pour it on, purpose, push, risk, scratch, seek, strain, strive, struggle, sweat, take on, take pains, try, undertake, venture |
Antonyms: |
be idle, ignore, laze, procrastinate, put off |
| Main Entry: | essay |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | try, attempt |
Synonyms: |
aim, assay, endeavor, have a crack, have a go, have a shot, have at it, labor, make a run at, offer, put to the test, seek, strive, struggle, take a stab at, take a whack at, take on, test, toil, travail, try out, undertake, venture, work |
Antonyms: |
be idle, forget, neglect, pass |
| Main Entry: | exercise |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | do repeatedly, especially to improve |
Synonyms: |
break, break in, condition, cultivate, develop, discipline, drill, dry run, exert, fix, foster, groom, habituate, hone, improve, inure, labor, lick into shape, limber up, loosen up, maneuver, ply, practice, prepare, pump iron, put out, put through grind, put through mill, rehearse, run through, set, strain, teach, train, tune up, walk through, warm up, work, work out |
| Main Entry: | exert |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make use of |
Synonyms: |
apply, apply oneself, bring into play, bring to bear, dig*, employ, endeavor, exercise, expend, give all one's got, give best shot, labor, make effort, peg away, plug*, ply, pour it on, push, put forth, put out, strain, strive, struggle, sweat it, throw, toil, try hard, use, utilize, wield, work |