Synonyms of employed

employed 1 of 2

adjective

as in engaged

involved in often constant activity

insisted that the children be employed in some useful activity, even during school vacations

Synonyms & Similar Words

• engaged
• diligent
• busy
• occupied
• working
• active
• preoccupied
• immersed
• industrious
• assiduous
• sedulous
• bustling
• laborious
• absorbed
• operating
• hopping
• tied-up
• concentrating
• focused
• going
• functioning
• operative
• humming
• operational
• buzzing
• animated
• running
• lively
• engrossed
• thriving
• flourishing
• swamped
• hardworking
• vibrant
• living
• happening
• intent
• energetic
• functional
• knee-deep
• astir
• alive
• vigorous
• tireless
• indefatigable
• untiring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unemployed
• idle
• unoccupied
• inactive
• free
• latent
• passive
• dormant
• quiescent
• asleep
• sleepy
• inert
• lifeless
• unbusy
• slow
• dead
• dull
• inoperative
• nonoperating

employed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of employ

1

as in hired

to provide with a paying job

a new factory that will employ 500 people

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hired
• recruited
• engaged
• paid
• retained
• placed
• enlisted
• signed (up or on)
• assumed
• laid on
• feed
• took on
• rehired
• reemployed
• partnered
• subcontracted
• contracted
• apprenticed
• promoted
• jobbed
• reengaged
• upgraded
• scouted
• kept (on)
• advanced
• headhunted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dismissed
• discharged
• fired
• canned
• sacked
• laid off
• axed
• locked out
• furloughed

2

as in used

to put into action or service

looking for a job in which she can employ her considerable writing skills

Synonyms & Similar Words

• used
• utilized
• applied
• exploited
• operated
• harnessed
• exercised
• brought to bear
• drew on
• made use of
• wielded
• handled
• manipulated
• worked
• directed
• reused
• recycled
• ran
• cannibalized

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignored
• neglected
• misused
• misapplied

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of employed

Verb

That has been the model employed by Strategy and numerous copycat DATs, which have counted on steadily rising asset prices to issue new shares that pay for their operating costs. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Stefani has contested that characterization, saying Mo was lawfully employed by the California Legislature. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026

That lesson carried straight into my next role as Lead Product Owner for Salesforce and Vlocity CPQ at T-Mobile (employed through Mphasis), where the systems in question don’t just read contracts. — Eshaan Jain, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Two of the companies that employed Fazio had ties and ownership links to China. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

The Nazis employed the V-2 heavily during this time, but the rocket was not terribly accurate. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026

The school confirmed his arrest in a statement, saying he was no longer employed as of Monday. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

The practice seems to have been abandoned by 1860, but Plunkett likened it to the virtual tours or walkthroughs employed by online real estate listing services like Redfin, Zillow, or Rightmove in the UK. — ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026

The forecasters are employed by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, which is part of the state’s Department of Natural Resources. — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026