adj

laborious

luh-BAW-ree-uhs

Laborious (adj) means requiring a great deal of physical effort; tiring and hard work. Example: “Digging the trench by hand was a laborious task that took all day.”

adj

Requiring a great deal of physical effort; tiring and hard work.

"Digging the trench by hand was a laborious task that took all day."

Slow, difficult, and demanding careful effort mentally, rather than fun or quick.

"Translating the old manuscript was a laborious process that took months."

How to use laborious

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribes something that takes a lot of hard, often tedious, effort to finish.

Common pairings

laborious process laborious task slow and laborious

Word forms

more laborious comparative, most laborious superlative

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Digging the trench by hand was a _____ task that took all day.

Etymology

From Old French laborios, from Latin laboriosus, built on labor, "work."

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for laborious

yous nous pious joyous heinous ominous curious anxious copious tenuous tedious spurious

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Frequently asked questions

What does “laborious” mean?

The word “laborious” means requiring a great deal of physical effort; tiring and hard work. In plain terms, describes something that takes a lot of hard, often tedious, effort to finish.

How do you pronounce “laborious”?

“Laborious” is pronounced luh-BAW-ree-uhs (/ləˈbɔːɹiəs/ in IPA).

How do you use “laborious” in a sentence?

Here is “laborious” used in a sentence: “Digging the trench by hand was a laborious task that took all day.”

What part of speech is “laborious”?

“Laborious” is an adjective.

Where does the word “laborious” come from?

The word “laborious” comes from Latin. From Old French laborios, from Latin laboriosus, built on labor, "work.".

How many meanings does “laborious” have?

“Laborious” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: requiring a great deal of physical effort; tiring and hard work.