labour
8 synonyms and 0 antonyms for labour, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Hard physical or mental effort put into a task; work.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use labour
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Old French labor and Latin labor, both meaning "work" or "toil."
Full origin of labour →Frequently asked questions
What does “labour” mean?
The word “labour” means hard physical or mental effort put into a task; work. In plain terms, hard work in general, workers as a group, a political party representing them, or the process of giving birth.
How do you pronounce “labour”?
“Labour” is pronounced LAY-buh (/ˈleɪ.bɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “labour” in a sentence?
Here is “labour” used in a sentence: “Years of labour went into restoring the old cottage.”
What is another word for “labour”?
Words with a similar meaning to “labour” include swink, toil and work.
What part of speech is “labour”?
Depending on how it is used, “labour” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “labour” come from?
The word “labour” comes from Latin. From Old French labor and Latin labor, both meaning "work" or "toil.".
Is “labour” a common word?
“Labour” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “labour” have?
“Labour” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: hard physical or mental effort put into a task; work.
What is the difference between labour and work?
'Work' is any activity done to achieve a result and can be light or hard, physical or mental. 'Labour' stresses hard, tiring, often physical effort. All labour is work, but not all work is labour — answering emails is work, while digging a ditch is labour.
What is the difference between 'labour' and 'labor'?
They are the same word with different spellings. 'Labour' is the British and Commonwealth spelling, used across the UK, Australia, and Canada. 'Labor' is the American spelling. The meaning and pronunciation are identical; only the presence of the letter 'u' changes between the two.
What are the other meanings of labour?
Beyond hard effort, 'labour' can mean the workforce as a whole, as in 'the cost of labour' or a shortage of skilled labour. It also names the final stage of pregnancy, when a woman gives birth — 'she went into labour.' Context makes the intended sense clear.
What is an example of 'labour' in a sentence?
'The beautiful garden was the result of years of labour' means years of hard, sustained effort went into it. Other examples include 'the job involves heavy manual labour' and 'their labour finally paid off,' each pointing to demanding physical or mental work.