work the room

verb

To interact enthusiastically with the attendees at an event, by moving among them, greeting them, and engaging them in conversation.

“As a campaigning politician, he really knew how to shake hands, kiss babies, and work the room.”

Similar
work the crowdwork the linework the barwork the audience
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Meanings

verbwork the room (third-person singular simple present works the room, present participle working the room, simple past and past participle worked the room)

present singular third person works the room · participle present working the room · participle past worked the room · past worked the room

  1. idiomatichostess; or guest; hostess; or guestTo interact enthusiastically with the attendees at an event, by moving among them, greeting them, and engaging them in conversation.

    As a campaigning politician, he really knew how to shake hands, kiss babies, and work the room.

  2. idiomaticTo interact with one's audience, taking cues from its reactions and adapting one's performance or words to elicit the audience's attention and enthusiasm.

    In show business parlance, Miss Hudson knows how to "work the room." Her comic turns are as rooted in vaudeville as her high-style wit is straight out of the smart supper club circuit.

    1989 February 26, Alvin Klein, “Theatre: ‘Jerry's Girls,’ Revue, in East Windsor”, in New York Times, retrieved 03 Jul 2008

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
work the crowdwork the linework the barwork the audience
Also see
work the audiencework the barwork the line

Translations

Finnish ottaa yleisönsä, ottaa yleisönsä
  • ottaa yleisönsäto interact with attendees at social event
  • ottaa yleisönsäto interact with one's audience
Cite this entry
APA

work the room. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/work%20the%20room

MLA

“work the room.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/work%20the%20room. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “work the room,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/work%20the%20room.

Source: work the room on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.