put in — to spend time or effort doing something
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to spend time or effort doing something
Pronunciation (IPA): /pʊt ɪn/
Example Sentences
- My cat put in zero effort today—she just slept for twelve hours straight.
- I put in so much overtime this week that my boss started calling me 'the ghost who never leaves.'
- She put in a request for a raise, but her boss just laughed nervously.
put in
VERB[/pʊt ɪn/]
to spend time or effort doing something
He decided to put in extra hours to finish the report before dawn.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Put in is a phrasal verb combining the Germanic verb 'put' (meaning 'to place' or 'to set') from Old English with the preposition 'in' (indicating direction toward the inside). Originally denoting the physical action of placing something inside, the expression has evolved to encompass figurative meanings such as investing time or effort, and formally submitting documents.
Breakdown
put (Old English: 'to place, set down') + in (preposition: 'toward the inside'). The combination originally meant 'to place inside' and extended to metaphorical uses of investing resources or submitting formally.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat put in zero effort today—she just slept for twelve hours straight.”
“I put in so much overtime this week that my boss started calling me 'the ghost who never leaves.'”
“She put in a request for a raise, but her boss just laughed nervously.”
“We need to put in more effort if we want to win this competition.”
“He put in an application for three different jobs last week.”
📚Related Words
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