Work out meaning
Work out means to do exercise to make your body fit and strong. It can also mean to happen or develop in a good way.
work out
work out · worked · working
I work out at the gym three times a week.
Work out meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Do exercise to make your body fit and strong
work out
- I work out at the gym three times a week.
- She works out before breakfast every day.
- Do you work out at home or at a gym?
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2
Happen or develop in a good way
work out
- Don’t worry. Everything will work out in the end.
- Sadly, their marriage didn’t work out in the end.
- I hope the new job works out for you.
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3
Do a calculation to find an amount
work something out
- Can you work out how much we each owe?
- I worked the cost out on my phone.
- The trip works out at about 50 euros a day.
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4
Understand something or find the answer by thinking
work something out
- I can’t work out how to use this app.
- Don’t worry. We’ll work it out together.
- Have you worked out who sent the flowers?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use work out in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is work out separable?
When work out means exercise or turn out well, it has no object: I work out every day. Things worked out. When it means calculate or understand, it is separable: work out the answer, work the answer out, work it out.
The noun workout, one word, is a session of exercise: a 20-minute workout. Work out at (UK) or work out to (US) means come to an amount: It works out at ten pounds each.
Verb tenses for work out
| Present | I work out · she works out |
|---|---|
| Past | worked out |
| Present perfect | have worked out |
| -ing form | working out |
Common mistakes with work out
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: This puzzle is hard. I can’t work out it.
Right: This puzzle is hard. I can’t work it out.
A pronoun goes between work and out.
Wrong: I do work out every morning.
Right: I work out every morning.
Work out is the verb. Or say I do a workout.
Wrong: I hope everything works out good.
Right: I hope everything works out well.
After a verb, use the adverb well.
Synonyms and opposites of work out
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- figure outunderstand or solve something; more common in US English
- exercisethe general word for training your body
- turn outhappen in a particular way, good or bad
Opposite
- fall throughfail to happen
- go wrongnot happen in a good way
Work out quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1He looks strong because he ___ every day.
Work out means do exercise.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes between work and out.
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3“It was hard at first, but it all worked out.” What happened?
Things work out when they end in a good way.
More phrasal verbs with work
4 phrasal verbs start with work. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Work out FAQ
Questions people ask about work out.
What is a workout?
A workout, one word, is a session of exercise. I did a quick workout before work.
Work out vs figure out: what is the difference?
Both mean understand or solve. Work out is more common in UK English, figure out in US English. Only work out means exercise.
What does it will work out mean?
It means things will end well, so don’t worry. People say it to comfort someone.
Use work out in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.