worksome

English

Etymology

From work +‎ -some. Cognate with German wirksam (“effective, operative, effectual”), Swedish verksam (“active, operative”), Old English weorcsum.

Adjective

worksome (comparative more worksome, superlative most worksome)

1. (archaic) Characterised by work; industrious; diligent.
   • 1837, Thomas Carlyle, Henry Duff Traill, The French revolution: a history:

     — and so, through seas of blood, to Equality, Frugality, worksome Blessedness, Fraternity, and Republic of the virtues.

2. Laborious; work-intensive.
   • 1968, University of Santo Tomás, Philippiniana sacra: Volume 3:

     At the very beginnings of his governance time began to show how turbulent and worksome it was going to be, […]

Derived terms

• unworksome
• worksomeness

Translations

industrious — see industrious

laborious — see laborious