labor 1 of 2

noun

ˈlā-bər How to pronounce labor (audio)
Definition of labornext
1
as in job
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work one of the labors of Hercules in classical mythology was to clean out the stables of King Augeas

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result a superhuman amount of labor must have gone into designing and building the pyramids of Egypt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in toil
very hard or unpleasant work a political dissident forced to do six months of hard labor in the salt mines as punishment

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in childbirth
the act or process of giving birth to children the mother's labor lasted for six hours

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5
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort a small, personal film that was clearly a labor of love for the director and actors

Synonyms & Similar Words

labor

2 of 2

verb

as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun labor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of labor are drudgery, grind, toil, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Where would drudgery be a reasonable alternative to labor?

The words drudgery and labor can be used in similar contexts, but drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When is it sensible to use grind instead of labor?

The words grind and labor are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When might toil be a better fit than labor?

The synonyms toil and labor are sometimes interchangeable, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When could travail be used to replace labor?

While in some cases nearly identical to labor, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

When would work be a good substitute for labor?

Although the words work and labor have much in common, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of labor
Noun
That’s not surprising to me with Chobani, because that’s much more labor intensive, as opposed to Micron being more capital intensive. —Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 24 Apr. 2025 He was suspected of being involved in labor/human trafficking, according to a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) report obtained by Fox News. —Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
Biblical scholars and archaeologists have long labored to understand how ancient people created those kinds of colorful garments and textiles, as well as the role that color—especially purple, a rare pigment associated with royalty—played in ancient society. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025 Anyone who has labored hard for anything knows that investing effort makes the final prize sweeter – whether in love, career, sports or Ikea furniture assembly. —Piotr Winkielman, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
  1. job
  2. effort
  3. toil
  4. childbirth
  5. production
  6. struggle
  7. headache
  8. work
Noun
  • Wearing his trusty tape measure around his neck, Mancinelli said he had not yet been formally commissioned by the Vatican but was busy preparing for the prestige job, working on his sewing machine as well as hand stitching robes.
    — Chiara Rodriquez, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • Trump’s rampage through the professional, permanent class of government workers has cost tens of thousands of jobs and reduced the federal payroll to 1960s levels.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
Definition of job
Noun
  • Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Trump is expected to promote mass deportation efforts and reduce government spending.
    — Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Definition of effort
Noun
  • The precise planting also reduces water loss to make your garden more efficient and productive with less toil and cost.
    — Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Others are brilliant master watchmakers who long toil for other brands and one day strike out on their own to prove their mettle.
    — Carol Besler, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Definition of toil
Noun
  • Up to 92% of breastfeeding employees return to work after childbirth when their employer provides lactation support, compared to a national average of only a 59% return rate, based on HRSA data.
    — Michelle Travis, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The absence of support often forces American mothers to return to work shortly after childbirth, sometimes sooner than the eight weeks that federal law mandates for separating puppies from their mothers.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Definition of childbirth
Noun
  • Some teams, though, might be turned off by the lack of production (just 4½ sacks in three seasons).
    — Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The state government collects significant taxes and royalties on oil production.
    — Brett Watson, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2025
Definition of production
Verb
  • But 100 days into his second term in the White House, the president is struggling to deliver on those promises.
    — Alain Sherter, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
  • The on-again-off-again tariff announcements have rattled investors, wiping out trillions in value from stock markets and frustrating business leaders who are struggling to make business decisions without knowing how much goods will cost in the long run.
    — Brian Bennett, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
Definition of struggle
Noun
  • Not everyone with a mild headache needs a CT scan of the brain.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Dehydration can be dangerous and may result in headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and other unpleasant symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
    — Sarah Klein, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
Definition of headache
Noun
  • Harry, who was honored at the 2024 event for his work as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan during his 10 years in the military, joined Morgan Freeman and others in celebrating the aerial firefighters involved with the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles in January.
    — Stephanie Petit, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Additionally, award-winning author Pico Iyer was honored with the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, and Amanda Gorman received the Innovator’s Award for her work promoting literacy, empowering youth and raising awareness on important issues.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Definition of work

Phrases Containing labor

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labile
labor
labor camp
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Cite this Entry

“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on labor

Nglish: Translation of labor for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about labor

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