polywork

To polywork is to hold several jobs or income streams at once, like a day job plus freelance work plus a weekend gig. It’s a newer, more upbeat label for juggling multiple jobs.

What polywork means

Dictionary.com defines polywork as a verb, to work several jobs at the same time, and as a noun for the state of holding more than one job. People who do it are polyworkers. It overlaps with the side hustle, but the framing is different: polywork treats every job as part of the career, not one main job plus extras.

For some it’s a choice, a way to diversify income and keep work interesting. For others it’s a necessity when one paycheck isn’t enough, so whether it feels like freedom or pressure depends a lot on why you’re doing it.

Examples

• “She polyworks: marketing three days a week, photography on weekends, and a podcast.”
• “Polyworking means I’m never bored, and never fully off.”
• “His advisor told him to polywork to spread out his income.”

Where it came from

It’s poly- (many) plus work, on the pattern of words like polyglot. Dictionary.com’s examples come from 2024 reporting on financial advisers encouraging clients to polywork and on rising rates of polyworking.

Related terms

• Side hustle: a second job or project.
• Overemployment: two full-time jobs, often in secret.
• Grindset: an always-working mindset.
• Job hopping: switching jobs often.

See more terms like this in our work and money slang guide.