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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of labor
William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Most cheaper cars, even for American brands like Ford, are not made in the United States and are instead assembled in countries with cheaper labor, like Mexico.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Other artists have spent decades laboring over their magnum opuses—Michael Heizer and James Turrell, with their sprawling land projects in the American West (City and Roden Crater, respectively), spring to mind—but few, if any, have worked only on those pieces.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Noun
Last month, the labor board declined to pause the four-day directive.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Most cheaper cars, even for American brands like Ford, are not made in the United States and are instead assembled in countries with cheaper labor, like Mexico.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
More than 60 years ago, Francis had an upper lobe of his right lung removed, and in recent years his breathing has seemed labored during speeches.
—Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Other artists have spent decades laboring over their magnum opuses—Michael Heizer and James Turrell, with their sprawling land projects in the American West (City and Roden Crater, respectively), spring to mind—but few, if any, have worked only on those pieces.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
Noun
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However, his later life focused primarily on jobs in tech, including with Intel, Apple and the advertising firm the Overland Agency.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2025
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By this time, Mary had found a part-time IT job paying $26 an hour at a law firm.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The grant terminations have drawn criticism for jeopardizing historical preservation efforts, educational programs like National History Day, and research projects across the country.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2025
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His effort, which involved dozens of fellow Senate Democrats asking questions to relieve his speaking burden, set a record for the longest speech on record in the chamber.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Original Price: $25.99 Sale Price: $23.59 (10% off) Buy Now on Amazon Witches Brew Cauldron Stoneware Mug Double, double toil and trouble… or just coffee?—
Maria Correa,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2025
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In a nation that has built its economic and cultural infrastructure on the toil of Black women, the act of resting—of lying down, of breathing deeply, of existing outside of labor—is nothing short of radical.—
Ashlee Marie Preston,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In light of the deal, sources said Rep. Luna will not trigger her bipartisan discharge petition -- which has 218 signatures -- to allow mothers and fathers to vote remotely for up to 12 weeks after childbirth.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2025
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What’s more important is lifestyle, how well the body has recovered since childbirth and genetics.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Since the Covid-19 pandemic, too, brands have been increasingly seeking smaller production runs made closer to home.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Mar. 2025
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Jobs at risk from lost production The industry is staying mum about future plans.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The 25-year-old struggled to impact the game and there was a disconnect between her and Clinton, her United team-mate.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Atlanta's lineup has struggled tremendously this season, and using Elder as a trade piece to bring in a big-time hitter would be pretty smart.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Early signs of the disease include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, while half of all HPS patients also go through headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal pain.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the most common issues are headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.—
Dr. Mishal Reja,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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After the equivalent of four days of work, the stadium was ready for the new tenant.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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He was seen most recently at the Bari International Film & TV Festival in southern Italy in March for a retrospective of his work.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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