outwork C2 Topic:War & Conflict US noun /ˈaʊtˌwɝk/ · verb /ˌaʊtˈwɝk/ UK noun /ˈaʊtˌwɜːk/ · verb /ˌaʊtˈwɜːk/ See IPA manual Freq #147278 Meanings 1 noun a subsidiary defensive fortification built beyond a fortress's main enclosure A detached outwork guarded the road leading to the citadel. 2 verb to work harder, faster, or more effectively than another person She hoped to outwork every rival through patience and discipline. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a subsidiary defensive... outer fortificationdefenceredoubt 2 verb · to work harder, faster, or... outperformsurpass ↔ Opposites underperform Word family Forms outworks Related forms fortificationbulwarkwork Etymology Formed from out- + work. The military noun names a defensive work lying outside the principal walls; the later verb uses out- competitively, meaning 'to work more or better than.' Topics War & Conflict External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # outwork **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** noun, verb **IPA (US):** /ˈaʊtˌwɝk/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈaʊtˌwɜːk/ **Frequency rank:** 147278 ## Meanings 1. a subsidiary defensive fortification built beyond a fortress's main enclosure 2. to work harder, faster, or more effectively than another person ## Examples - A detached outwork guarded the road leading to the citadel. - She hoped to outwork every rival through patience and discipline. ## Synonyms - outer fortification - defence - redoubt - outperform - surpass ## Antonyms - underperform ## Related Forms - fortification - bulwark - work ## Etymology Formed from out- + work. The military noun names a defensive work lying outside the principal walls; the later verb uses out- competitively, meaning 'to work more or better than.' ## Topics - War & Conflict markdown