multitask

IPA/ˌmʌltiˈtɑːsk/
KK[mˈʌltitˌæsk]IPA/ˌmʌltiˈtæsk/

multitask — verb

  • multitaskpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • multitaskshe / she / it
  • multitaskedpast simple
  • multitasking-ing form

1. to switch between two or more tasks during a single period, working on each in t

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to switch between two or more tasks during a single period, working on each in turn instead of finishing one completely before starting the next

Example

Gita tried to multitask by answering emails while cooking dinner for her family.

multitask by + [gerund]... while + [gerund]

The manager praised Lien for her ability to multitask during the busy holiday rush.

ability to multitask + during [time period]

Common collocations
  • multitask effectively
  • multitask between [tasks]
  • ability to multitask
  • need to multitask
  • try to multitask
Synonyms
  • juggle

    more informal; suggests actively keeping multiple demands in motion often with difficulty

  • balance

    implies managing competing priorities without dropping any; slightly more formal

  • wear multiple hats

    idiomatic; used when one person does several different roles, especially at work

Antonyms
  • focus

    to direct all your attention on one thing

  • single-task

    to do only one thing at a time; a newer coinage contrasting with 'multitask'

Grammar Patterns

multitask by [verb]ing

multitask while [verb]ing

multitask between [noun] and [noun]

Usage Note

Intransitive — you cannot say 'multitask something'; use 'multitask between [tasks]' or 'multitask while [doing something].' The subject is usually a person describing their work or daily routine.

Common Mistakes

I need to multitask these two projects before the deadline.
I need to multitask between these two projects before the deadline.
'multitask' is intransitive and does not take a direct object.
She can multitask many tasks at once.
She is good at multitasking.
When used as a verb, 'multitask' does not take a direct object; use the noun form 'multitasking' with a prepositional phrase instead.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

While all three alternatives describe managing multiple responsibilities, they differ in register and scope. 'Juggle' is the most informal and often implies strain — you juggle competing demands when it feels like a struggle to keep them all going ('She juggles a full-time job with evening classes'). 'Balance' is more neutral and controlled, suggesting that you give each task appropriate attention without dropping anything ('He balances his work duties with family time'). 'Wear multiple hats' is an informal idiom limited to role-based contexts — it describes doing several different jobs or functions rather than performing multiple simultaneous tasks ('At the startup, everyone wears multiple hats'). Of the three, 'multitask' is the only word that focuses on the act of doing things concurrently rather than on managing competing demands.

juggle ↗balance ↗wear multiple hats

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • ability to multitask
  • need to multitask
  • try to multitask

Prepositions

Etymology

Latin (multi-)English

Formed in English from the prefix 'multi-' (many) and the noun 'task'. The word first appeared in the 1960s in computing, describing a computer's ability to run several programs at once. By the 1990s it had spread into everyday language to describe people doing several things at the same time, especially in workplace and home contexts.