I once described this rather vulgarly as a Euro-wanking make-work project and I do not resile from that.
Source: wiktionary
Make-work
/ˈmeɪkwəːk/
Synonyms for "make-work" (18 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: assignment, busywork, charge, chore, commission.
- Sentence evidence is available for make-work, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, wordnet.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "make-work".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "make-work"
Keep "make-work" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "make-work" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "make-work", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "make-work" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
1 entriesSample sentences
3 total sentences available.
They are more sympathetic to immigration, free markets, and free trade, and less sympathetic to protectionism, make-work policies, and government intervention in business.
Source: wiktionary
In that COVID era, in June of 2020, I interviewed the anthropologist David Graeber, author of Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, a few months ahead of his untimely death. His book had suggested that many modern jobs were make-work, created out of “managerial feudalism,” where bosses needed minions around to feel important and signal their importance to other bosses. Graeber felt vindicated by the revolution in working life triggered by COVID, which had exposed some jobs as “essential”—while others were not. Those nonessential workers, he concluded, never needed to clog highways, or sit through meetings where, one by one, people would update the boss while everyone else stared off into space, contemplating what they’d rather be doing with their brief time drawing breath, aka office life.
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "make-work"?
Closest matches include assignment, busywork, charge, chore, commission.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "make-work"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.