26984 words

task

9 definitions • 23 examples
1
a piece of work to be done, especially one done regularly, unwillingly, or with difficulty:

Examples:

perform a task We usually ask interviewees to perform a few simple tasks on the computer just to test their aptitude.
2
to criticize or speak angrily to someone for something that they have done wrong:

Examples:

take someone to task for/over something She took her assistant to task for/over her carelessness.
3
to give someone a task:

Examples:

be tasked with We have been tasked with setting up camps for refugees.
4
a piece of work to be done, esp. one done regularly, unwillingly, or with difficulty:

Examples:

Our first task after we moved was to find a doctor.
Making these pastries is no easy task.
They face the daunting task of rebuilding their economy.
5
a piece of work that needs to be done, especially one that is a regular part of someone's job:

Examples:

The new team's first task will be to ensure a smooth handover of power.
carry out/complete/do a task Those in charge of planning the relocation will need to decide what tasks need to be carried out.
assign/give/set sb a task A small team at head office has been assigned the task of setting up a central database.
a big/important/major task
a crucial/key/main task
time-consuming/urgent tasks
easy/menial/simple tasks
6
a difficult thing that must be done:

Examples:

a difficult/hard/impossible task With the cost-cutting complete, the bank is faced with the more difficult task of generating increased revenues to convert into profit.
7
an action done by a computer such as starting a program, checking email, saving files, etc.:

Examples:

By automating repetitive tasks, software programs can save people a lot of time.
do/execute/perform a task A mainframe's speed is measured in the number of tasks it can perform in a millisecond.
8
to criticize a person, group of people, or an organization for doing something that you think is very wrong:

Examples:

Farmers took the large supermarket chains to task over their ruthless pricing.
9
to give someone a difficult job to do:

Examples:

task sb with (doing) sth The parent company is being tasked with turning around two new acquisitions.
task sb to do sth The company completed only a small fraction of the 150 health clinics it was tasked to build.

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