at work

at work — idiom

1. at the place where you have a job, or busy doing the activities your job involve

1.慣用語A1
釋義

at the place where you have a job, or busy doing the activities your job involves.

例句

Lien is at work until six o'clock, so dinner will be late tonight.

be at work + time expression (until)

Sahil left his phone at work and went back for it after dinner.

at work as location noun phrase after preposition

同義詞
  • on the job

    informal, emphasises the work period rather than the physical place

  • busy

    broader — can mean occupied with any activity, not necessarily work

  • working

    direct replacement in most contexts; 'I'm working' vs 'I'm at work'

反義詞
  • off duty

    used mainly for shift workers, police, medical staff

  • at home

    emphasises location rather than activity

文法句型

be at work

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2 ('EXERTING INFLUENCE'). This sense refers to the physical workplace or the state of doing job-related tasks. The subject is a person, and the phrase usually follows a form of 'be'.

常見錯誤

❌I called him but he was at work on the new design.
✅I called him but he was working on the new design.
💡'at work' does not take a direct object with 'on' to mean 'working on something' (though 'at work on' is occasionally used in formal writing, it sounds unnatural in everyday speech).

2. operating or influencing a situation, often in a way that is not immediately obv

2.慣用語B2
釋義

operating or influencing a situation, often in a way that is not immediately obvious but produces a particular result.

例句

Strong economic forces were at work behind the sudden rise in prices last year.

abstract noun + be at work + behind/in [situation]

Chiara suspected some kind of trick was at work when the door opened by itself.

that-clause after 'suspected' describing unobserved force

同義詞
  • operating

    more technical or mechanical; common in scientific writing

  • in play

    informal; used for factors that are relevant in a situation

  • active

    emphasises that the force is currently producing effects

反義詞
  • inactive

    suggests the force is present but not currently producing results

  • dormant

    used for forces that could become active later

文法句型

be at work

用法筆記

The subject is typically an abstract noun (forces, factors, pressures, mechanisms, processes) rather than a person. The phrase often appears in formal, analytical, or explanatory contexts. Frequently followed by 'behind', 'in', or 'within' to specify the situation.

常見錯誤

❌The medicine was at work on my headache.
✅The medicine was working on my headache.
💡'at work' in this sense is used for broad, often abstract forces, not for a specific concrete effect on a single object.
❌My boss was at work behind the decision.' (when meaning the boss personally caused it)
✅My boss was behind the decision.
💡when the agent is a specific person, use 'behind' directly rather than 'at work'.