worky

Adjective

worky (comparative workier, superlative workiest)

1. (informal) Characterized by or pertaining to work.
   • The vvorky-daies are the back-part; / The burden of the vveek lies there, / Making the vvhole to ſtoup and bovv, / Till thy [God's] releaſe appeare.[[1633], George Herbert, “Sunday”, in [Nicholas Ferrar], editor, The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by...
   • I have had no duties of the worky sort except taking care of my own room, paying some attention to Mother and Ellen when sick and teaching Ellen and Richard two afternoons in the week.1839 March 4 (date written), Margaret Fuller, “[Letter] 209. To Caroline Sturgis.”, in Robert N. Hudspeth, editor, The Letters of Margaret Fuller, volumes II (1839–41), Ithaca, N.Y.; London: Cornell...

   Synonyms:

   working, workish, worklike

2. (informal) Especially of attire: appropriate for work.
   • The problem with the meet-me-at-a-bar date is that I want to look as great as possible, without looking like I've made too much effort. Dresses feel too dressy, skirts too girly, tanks too booby, shirts too worky, and then of course we have the whole shoes issue.2013, Gemma Burgess, Brooklyn Girls, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Griffin, →ISBN, page 191
   • The secretary prints out a schedule and gives us our e-mail log-in and password, then says, "Hold on a minute" and comes back with someone who looks like a student, except that her clothes are a little worky.2017, Joanne O’Sullivan, “Refugees”, in Between Two Skies, Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press, →ISBN, page 68

   Synonyms:

   businesslike

3. (informal) Requiring much work.
   • Richard's Caſtle ſtandeth at the top of a very vvorky hill, vvell vvooded, and at the vveſt end of the Pariſh Church there.1797, J[ohn] Price, quoting John Leland, “Sect. IV. Church, Charitable Foundations &c.”, in The Ludlow Guide, Comprising an Account of the Ancient and Present State of that Town, and It’s...
   • Estate planners seldom recommend partial QTIP elections, and most people who create QTIPs, and their executors, don't bother with them. They're just too worky and complicated.1999 October, Denis Clifford, Mary Randolph, “Use a QTIP Trust”, in 9 Ways to Avoid Estate Taxes, Berkeley, Calif.: Nolo, →ISBN, page 5/19

   Synonyms:

   laborious, labor-intensive

4. (informal) Tending to be very serious about work.
   • Angelo has an important deadline, so he is all worky today.
   • […] Jasper is lazy as a dawg, so he wouldn't be much use to you, but Sexton's more worky … he could help you pull your skiff.1936, Harry Hamilton, Banjo on My Knee, Indianapolis, Ind.: Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 117

   Synonyms:

   diligent, industrious, workish

5. (informal, obsolete) Showing the effect of much effort and work.
   • From England we came by the overland mail, / Waghorny quickly done; / […] / Where the sign of a dragon turns nobody pale; / But simply inspires a thought of pale ale, / With its whisky, frisky, worky, jerky, / Hoppery, poppery, spittery, bittery, / Frolicking frothy fun.1849 April 9 (first performance), J[ames] R[obinson] Planché, The Seven Champions of Christendom. An Original Comic Fantastic Spectacle […], London: S. G. Fairbrother, […], published [1849], →OCLC...
   • More water or meglip must be added as occasion requires [when painting on china]; but too much of the former is apt to produce a very worky appearance, and if too much of the latter is used the color will take a long time to dry.1882, Nugent Robinson, compiler, “Painting”, in Collier’s Cyclopedia of Commercial and Social Information […], revised edition, New York, N.Y.: Peter Fenelon Collier, →OCLC, page 740, column 1

   Synonyms:

   intricate, involved