paintwork

paintwork — noun

1. the painted outer layer on something such as a car, a wall, a door, or a boat, v

1.nounB2
Definition

the painted outer layer on something such as a car, a wall, a door, or a boat, viewed as a single visible coating that can look new, faded, scratched, or chipped.

Example

Marcus polished the paintwork of his red sports car every Saturday morning.

the paintwork of [vehicle]

A shopping trolley had left a long scratch in the paintwork on the driver's door.

scratch in the paintwork

Common collocations
  • damage the paintwork
  • scratch the paintwork
  • chip the paintwork
  • touch up the paintwork
  • polish the paintwork
  • faded paintwork
  • glossy paintwork
  • original paintwork
Synonyms
  • paint job

    informal; often refers to the result of one painting session, especially on a vehicle

  • finish

    broader term covering any final surface coating, including varnish or lacquer, not only paint

  • coat of paint

    emphasises a single application or layer rather than the overall painted surface

Grammar Patterns

the paintwork of/on [object]

Usage Note

Uncountable; almost always preceded by 'the' and tied to a specific object (a car, a door, a wall). Common verbs are 'damage', 'scratch', 'chip', 'fade', 'touch up', and 'polish' — not 'paint' itself.

Common Mistakes

He bought new paintwork for the wall.
He bought new paint for the wall.
'paintwork' is the layer already on a surface, not the liquid in a can.
The car has many paintworks.
The car has scratches on its paintwork.
paintwork is uncountable; it has no plural form.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe paint on a surface, but the angle differs. 'Paintwork' is neutral and treats the painted layer as a feature of the object — you talk about the paintwork of a car or a door once it is already painted. 'Paint job' is informal and focuses on the work that produced the result, often a vehicle respray: 'a cheap paint job', 'a custom paint job'. 'Finish' is the broadest term and covers any final coating, including varnish or lacquer, with attention to look and feel ('a matte finish', 'a glossy finish'). 'A coat of paint' picks out one single application, useful when counting layers: 'The fence needs another coat of paint.' Use 'paintwork' for the whole visible surface, 'paint job' for the act or its quality, and 'a coat' for one layer.

paintwork ↗paint jobfinish ↗coat of paint

Common collocations

Nouns

  • paintwork damage
  • paintwork repair
  • paintwork protection

Phrases

  • original paintwork
  • glossy paintwork
  • faded paintwork
  • chipped paintwork
  • touch up the paintwork
  • scratch the paintwork

Prepositions

  • paintwork on (the door / car / wall)
  • paintwork of (the vehicle)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

A straightforward English compound built from 'paint' + 'work'. 'Paint' came into Middle English from Old French 'peint', the past participle of 'peindre' (to paint), which goes back to Latin 'pingere' (to paint or depict). 'Work' is native English, from Old English 'weorc', meaning a thing made or done. Combined in the 19th century, 'paintwork' picks up the productive '-work' pattern seen in 'woodwork', 'stonework', and 'metalwork', where the suffix names the finished product viewed as a feature of a larger object.