Meaning & use
new gig
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Meanings
nouncountableinformal
a new job or paid piece of work, especially one that is short-term or freelance.
Grammar: Countable phrase: a new gig, her new gig; the adjective new can be replaced by other adjectives.
Patterns
- get a new gig
- land a new gig
- start a new gig
He just landed a new gig as a sound engineer for a touring band.
After months of searching, she finally got a new gig at a small design studio.
My new gig only lasts six weeks, but the pay is good.
nouncountableinformalmusic
a new performance or booking for a musician or comedian.
Grammar: Countable; common in music and comedy contexts.
Patterns
- play a new gig
- book a new gig
The band announced a new gig at a club downtown.
He's excited about his new gig on Friday night.
Word forms
| plural | new gigs |
|---|
Common combinations
- land a new gig
- She landed a new gig writing for a tech blog.
- start a new gig
- I start a new gig on Monday, so I'm nervous.
- a side gig
- He drives for a delivery app as a side gig.
- a new gig in something
- He's looking for a new gig in marketing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- new job
- Neutral and standard; it fits any context, including formal writing, while new gig is casual and often suggests something short-term.
- new role
- More formal and often used for a position within the same company.
- new position
- Formal and suitable for applications; it does not carry the informal, temporary feel of gig.
Word family
- gig noun
- a single paid performance or short piece of work.
- gig economy noun
- a labor market built around short-term freelance jobs.
- gig worker noun
- someone who earns money from short-term freelance jobs.
Commonly confused: new gig or new job?
new gig vs new job
Both can mean a new source of income, but 'new job' is neutral and usually longer-term, while 'new gig' is informal and often temporary.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'new gig' in the most natural way?
Choose one answer.
'New gig' fits short-term or freelance paid work such as a festival photography job. A permanent government post is too formal and long-term, and the hospital or roof options use 'gig' with the wrong meaning of a place.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “new gig”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.