Pronunciation: /ə kɔɡ ɪn ə ðə məˈʃin/
noun A cog is a toothed wheel or bar that engages with another toothed part to transmit motion in a machine.
A1 In the office, I feel like a cog in a machine, just doing my small part.
A2 Working on the assembly line, I am just a cog in the machine of production.
B1 As a junior employee, I often feel like a cog in the machine of corporate bureaucracy.
B2 The employees were treated as mere cogs in the machine, with little regard for their individual contributions.
C1 She realized that her role in the organization was more than just a cog in a machine, but a vital part of the team.
C2 Despite his high position in the company, he never forgot what it felt like to be a cog in the machine early in his career.
preposition In this phrase, 'in' is a preposition that shows the relationship between 'cog' and 'machine'.
A1 I am just a cog in the machine at my job.
A2 She felt like a cog in a machine, doing the same tasks every day.
B1 Working in a large corporation can make you feel like just a cog in the machine.
B2 As a manager, he made sure his employees didn't feel like mere cogs in the machine.
C1 Despite being a cog in the machine, she found ways to make a meaningful impact in her company.
C2 He realized that being a cog in the machine was necessary for the smooth operation of the organization.
article The articles 'a' and 'the' are used before 'cog' and 'machine' to indicate that they are singular nouns.
A1 I am just a cog in the machine at my job.
A2 She felt like a cog in a machine, doing the same tasks every day.
B1 Working in a large corporation can make you feel like a cog in the machine.
B2 The employees were treated as mere cogs in the machine, with little recognition for their hard work.
C1 The government officials were seen as cogs in the political machine, following orders without question.
C2 He realized he was just a small cog in a much larger machine of bureaucracy and power.
formal As a low-level employee, I often feel like just a cog in the machine of this large corporation.
informal At work, I sometimes feel like I'm just a cog in the machine, doing the same tasks every day.
slang I hate feeling like I'm just a cog in the machine at my job, doing the same thing over and over.
figurative In the grand scheme of things, we are all just cogs in the machine of society, playing our roles.
cogs in the machine
more of a cog in the machine
most of a cog in the machine
is a cog in the machine
will be a cog in the machine
has been a cog in the machine
is being a cog in the machine
a cog in the machine
a significant cog in the machine
to be a cog in the machine
being a cog in the machine
a cog in the machine