Outwork
What it means
To surpass others through sustained effort.
Reach for it when describing someone who achieves an advantage through more sustained effort
Consistent preparation allowed the smaller crew to outwork its rivals.
Words to choose between 5
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday |
|
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
-
playful
out-hustle
Fits when energetic competitive effort suits sports talk
Careful Hustle language can glorify exhaustion.
-
everyday
work harder than
Fits when effort comparison should be explicit
Careful Harder work is not always more effective.
-
professional
be more diligent than
Fits when careful consistent work, not hours, leads
Careful Diligence differs from sheer quantity of work.
-
formal
exceed the effort of
Fits when a measured neutral comparison is wanted
Careful Effort is difficult to observe fairly.
-
literary
outlabor
Fits when a rare compact equivalent fits historical prose
Careful Outlabor is even less familiar than outwork.
Opposites 3
- slack off
- be outworked by
- underexert
Common phrases 3
-
outwork the competition
Consistent preparation helped the smaller crew outwork the competition.
-
try to outwork
She chose to try to outwork her own previous standard.
-
cannot outwork
A team cannot outwork unsafe staffing forever.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Outwork can glorify overwork and ignore tools, access, staffing, and luck; effort should not substitute for sustainable design.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated