1
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in childbirth
the act or process of giving birth to children
a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 travail
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
China’s Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future
by Ian Johnson
Sigrid Nunez
A Hero for Cro-MAGA Times
Charles Baxter’s new novel follows the moral travails of a rock-steady insurance salesman in a dystopian Ohio backwater.
—James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2025
David Jackson, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for travail
Noun
But anybody who's ever been in a relationship or been torn between potential significant others can relate to the romantic travails of British singleton Bridget Jones.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
China’s Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future
by Ian Johnson
Sigrid Nunez
A Hero for Cro-MAGA Times
Charles Baxter’s new novel follows the moral travails of a rock-steady insurance salesman in a dystopian Ohio backwater.
—James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
Clap back:DeSantis criticizes 'daily drama' of Trump's leadership style, ratcheting up growing tensions Trump travails:Is Donald Trump being arrested?
—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for travail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travail
Noun
-
The lawsuit alleged battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and loss of consortium, which allows for recovery of damages for relationships that are mutually dependent.—
Winston Cho,
The Hollywood Reporter,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Mexico, Canada, and China are the first, second, and third largest trading partners of the U.S. Markets React to Tariff Disruption Equities markets indicated distress in a number of ways.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Our pursuit of it in our collective desire to outsource emotional labor is both capitalistic and desperate.—
Silvia Park,
TIME,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Momma had a smooth labor and delivery and both mamma and baby are doing great!—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
That includes a University of Houston study of maternal mortality that examines why Black, Indigenous and other people of color in the U.S. are nearly three times as likely as white women to die during pregnancy or within the first year after childbirth.—
Agnel Philip,
ProPublica,
28 Feb. 2025
-
The results were consistent among all participants, regardless of body weight or childbirth history.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Courtney Eaton is still struggling to accept Lottie’s fate while playing the character’s teen counterpart in the ’90s wilderness.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
28 Feb. 2025
-
And that excludes the knock on effects that might ensue The aerospace industry, and Boeing in particular, has been struggling for the past five years to shore up its fragile supply chain in the wake of the pandemic shutdown and multiple quality issues.—
Jerrold Lundquist,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Challenges of rebuilding Victims who lost homes will be faced with the decision whether to rebuild — which can be agony.—
Tony Saavedra,
Orange County Register,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Then, Cara’s killshot was followed by her screams of agony at her dire circumstances.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
This boycott arrives amid a national conversation about diversity initiatives, with several major companies scaling back their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
28 Feb. 2025
-
This transformation requires a conscious effort to rethink decision-making, leadership development and financial strategy.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Rogers cared deeply about the children his show touched, striving to spread kindness and make the world a better place.—
Makena Gera,
People.com,
27 Feb. 2025
-
If errors are made, they will be flagged and corrected as needed, while striving to do what's best for the American people.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
But last year's Olympics were also a major source of anguish.—
Christopher Intagliata,
NPR,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Every repeat viewing of Abraham's performance reveals some new moment of humiliation — some fresh sickening glimmer of anguish that feels all too familiar.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Travail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travail. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share