different between task vs painstaking

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English task, taske, from Old Northern French tasque, (compare Old French variant tasche), from Medieval Latin tasca, alteration of taxa, from Latin tax?re (“censure; charge”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /t??sk/
• (US) IPA^(key): /tæsk/
• Rhymes: -æsk

Noun

task (plural tasks)

1. A piece of work done as part of one’s duties.

   The employee refused to complete the assignment, arguing that it was not one of the tasks listed in her job description.

2. Any piece of work done.
3. A difficult or tedious undertaking.
4. An objective.
5. (computing) A process or execution of a program.

Usage notes

• Adjectives often applied to "task": difficult, easy, simple, hard, tough, complex, not-so-easy, challenging, complicated, tricky, formidable, arduous, laborious, onerous, small, big, huge, enormous, tremendous, gigantic, mammoth, colossal, gargantuan, social, intellectual, theological, important, basic, trivial, unpleasant, demanding, pleasant, noble, painful, grim, responsible, rewarding, boring, ungrateful, delightful, glorious, agreeable.

Synonyms

• (piece of work): chore, job
• (difficult undertaking): undertaking
• (objective): objective, goal
• (process): process

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

task (third-person singular simple present tasks, present participle tasking, simple past and past participle tasked)

1. (transitive) To assign a task to, or impose a task on.

   On my first day in the office, I was tasked with sorting a pile of invoices.

   • 1610, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, act 1 scene 2

     All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come / To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly, / To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride / On the curl'd clouds, to thy strong bidding task / Ariel and all his quality.

   • c. 1693-1696, John Dryden, Last parting of Hector and Andromache: From the Sixth Book of Homer's Iliads

     There task thy maids, and exercise the loom.
2. (transitive) To oppress with severe or excessive burdens; to tax.
3. (transitive) To charge, as with a fault.

   • Too impudent to task me with those errors.

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

task

1. Alternative form of taisch

Anagrams

• AKST, Kast, KTAS, askt, kast, kats, skat

English

Alternative forms

• (archaic) pains-taking

Etymology

From pains +? taking.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?pe?n?ste?k??/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /?pe?nz?te?k??/

Adjective

painstaking (comparative more painstaking, superlative most painstaking)

1. Carefully attentive to details; diligent in performing a process or procedure.
   • 1781, James Harris, Philological Inquiries

     All these painstaking men, considered together, may be said to have completed another species of criticism.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:industrious
• See also Thesaurus:meticulous

Derived terms

• painstakingly, painstakingness

Translations

Noun

painstaking (countable and uncountable, plural painstakings)

1. The application of careful and attentive effort.
   • c. 1836, Thomas Chalmers, Lectures on the Romans

     It is not by a flight of imagination that you gain the ascents of spiritual experience. It is by the toils and the watchings and the painstakings of a solid obedience.

   • 1852, Nathaniel Langdon Frothingham, Sermons in the Order of a Twelvemonth, "Sermon VI"

     Behold what an abundant recompense attends the small processes of the earth, with the help of a little warm air; and what wealthy returns the industry of the husbandman and the florist is preparing from a few seeds and painstakings.