Synonyms of employ

20 similar words · 4 opposite words

Another word for employ is spend. Other synonyms of employ are use, bestow, apply, occupy and utilize. The opposite of employ is surrender.

Synonyms and similar words for employ

applyTo put to use; to use or employ for a particular purpose, or in a particular case.
useTo employ; to apply; to utilize.
utilizeUS, Canada, and Oxford British English standard spelling of utilise.

appoint
bestowTo apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.
brook ScotlandTo enjoy the use of; make use of; profit by; to use, enjoy, possess, or hold.
commission
commit
exercise
exploit
handle
make useTo use, usually productively and/or for a specific purpose.
ply
put to useTo use; to utilise; to apply.
spendTo bestow; to employ; often with on or upon.
take advantage of
wield
suborn archaic

What is another word for employ?: Employ has 20 synonyms on Word.ws, such as spend, use, bestow, apply, occupy, utilize and busy.
What is the opposite of employ?: The opposite of employ is surrender.
What does employ mean?: Employ means to retain (someone) as an employee.

Adapted from Wiktionary: employ (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “Synonyms of employ.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/employ. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.