out-of-work

/ˌaʊt əv ˈwɜːk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌaʊt əv ˈwɜːrk/ (ame, ipa)

out-of-work — adjective

1. without a paid job at the present time, especially when describing people before

1.形容詞B2
釋義

without a paid job at the present time, especially when describing people before a noun.

例句

The charity found winter coats for out-of-work hotel staff.

hyphenated adjective before a noun

Out-of-work nurses were offered free bus passes by the city.

out-of-work + plural noun

同義詞
  • unemployed

    the standard neutral word, especially in official or news contexts

  • jobless

    is close in meaning, but it can sound a little stronger or colder

  • laid off

    is narrower and means someone lost work because the employer cut jobs

反義詞

文法句型

out-of-work + noun

用法筆記

Used mainly before a noun, especially for groups of people affected by unemployment. Distinguish from the idiom out of work, which is the usual open form after a verb: She is out of work.

常見錯誤

❌an out of work teacher
✅an out-of-work teacher
💡use hyphens when this form comes before a noun.
❌The teacher is out-of-work.
✅The teacher is out of work.
💡after a verb, the usual form is the open idiom, not the hyphenated adjective.