travail

¹tra·vail

noun \trə-ˈvāl, ˈtra-ˌvāl\

Definition of TRAVAIL

1

a : work especially of a painful or laborious nature : toil

b : a physical or mental exertion or piece of work : task, effort

c : agony, torment

2

: labor, parturition

Examples of TRAVAIL

1. They finally succeeded after many months of travail.
2. <no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child>

Origin of TRAVAIL

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from travailler to torment, labor, journey, from Vulgar Latin *trepaliare to torture, from Late Latin trepalium instrument of torture, from Latin tripalis having three stakes, from tri- + palus stake — more at pole

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to TRAVAIL

Synonyms

affliction, agony, anguish, excruciation, hurt, misery, pain, rack, strait(s), torment, torture, distress, tribulation, woe

Antonyms

fun, play

Related Words

discomfort; cross, crucible, trial; heartache, heartbreak, joylessness, sadness, sorrow, unhappiness; emergency, pinch; asperity, difficulty, hardship, rigor; ache, pang, smarting, soreness, stitch, throe, twinge; danger, jeopardy, trouble

Near Antonyms

comfort, consolation, solace; alleviation, assuagement, ease, relief; peace, security; well-being

See Synonym Discussion at work

Rhymes with TRAVAIL

abseil, airmail, all hail, assail, avail, bake sale, bangtail, blackmail, blacktail, bobtail, broadscale, broadtail, bucktail, bud scale, canaille, cattail, chain mail, coattail, cocktail, contrail, curtail, derail, detail, doornail, dovetail, downscale, ducktail, e-mail, entail, exhale, fan mail, fantail, female, fife rail, fire sale, fishtail, folktale, foresail, foxtail, fresh gale, full-scale, gapped scale, Glendale, gray scale, greenmail, guardrail, Hallel, handrail, hangnail, headsail, hightail, hobnail, horntail, horsetail, impale, inhale, junk mail, Longueuil, lugsail, mainsail, mare's tail, Mondale, moon snail, oxtail, pass-fail, percale, pigtail, pintail, pinwale, plate rail, pot ale, prevail, rattail, regale, resale, rescale, retail, right whale, ringtail, Sangreal, Scottsdale, sea kale, shavetail, shirttail, skysail, slop pail, small-scale, snail mail, soft hail, split rail, springtail, spritsail, square sail, staysail, strong gale, surveil, swordtail, taffrail, tag sale, telltale, third rail, thumbnail, timescale, toenail, topsail, trysail, unnail, unveil, upscale, ventail, voice mail, wage scale, wagtail, wassail, whiptail, white sale, whitetail, white whale, whole gale, wholesale, yard sale

²travail

intransitive verb \same as ¹; in prayer-book communion service usually ˈtra-ˌvāl\

Definition of TRAVAIL

1

: to labor hard : toil

2

: labor 3

Examples of TRAVAIL

1. <Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation.>

First Known Use of TRAVAIL

13th century

Related to TRAVAIL

Synonyms

bang away, beaver (away), dig (away), drudge, endeavor, fag, grub, hump, hustle, moil, peg (away), plod, plow, plug, slave, slog, strain, strive, struggle, sweat, toil, labor, tug, work

Related Words

apply (oneself), buckle (down), dig in, hammer (away), knuckle down, pitch in; attack, drive; essay, try; exercise, exert, overexert, overwork; eke out, grind (out), put out, scrabble, scratch; trudge, wade

Near Antonyms

break, ease (up), let up, slacken; bum, chill, dally, dillydally, footle, goldbrick, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), idle, laze, loaf, lounge, shirk, slack (off), veg out; bask, loll, relax, repose, rest, unwind; dabble, doodle, fool around, fribble, goof (around), hang, hang about [British], mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle

tra·vail

noun \trə-ˈvā(ə)l, ˈtrav-ˌāl\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of TRAVAIL

: labor, parturition