Word
wages
US/ˈweɪdʒəz/
UK/wˈeɪdʒɪz/
Definitions
01payment for work
B1 · Intermediate Plural noun
n. the money a worker receives regularly for their work, often calculated by the hour or day.
n. regular payment, typically on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis, made by an employer to an employee.
“The factory workers are demanding higher wages and better working conditions.”
“Despite the increase in productivity, real wages have remained stagnant for the majority of the workforce over the last decade.”
Usage
Usually plural in modern usage.
Pitfall
The company increased the worker's wage.
The company increased the workers' wages.
While 'wage' can be singular, it is much more common to use the plural 'wages' when talking about the money someone earns.
02consequences
C2 · Proficiency Plural noun Literary · Archaic
n. the result or reward of doing something, usually something bad.
n. the natural or deserved consequences of an action or lifestyle.
“In the old story, the wages of greed was a life of loneliness.”
“The philosopher argued that the wages of such reckless political ambition would inevitably be the collapse of the state itself.”
Usage
Often takes a singular verb in this specific idiomatic context.
Synonyms
03to carry out
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to start and continue a war, a fight, or a campaign.
v. to carry on or engage in a war, campaign, or similar organized activity.
“The government wages a constant battle against illegal fishing in these waters.”
“The non-profit organisation regularly wages awareness campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of water scarcity.”
Usage
Third-person singular present form of the verb 'wage'.
The word in film
The Wages of Fear · 1953 · Adventure
- Directed by:
- Henri-Georges Clouzot
- Starring:
- Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, Véra Clouzot
Henri-Georges Clouzot directs this gripping suspense drama about four desperate European outcasts hired by an oil company to transport two truckloads of nitroglycerine across treacherous mountain roads. The title adapts the biblical phrase concerning payment for actions, naming the psychological toll and mortal dread endured for a monetary reward.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/wages