laborious
adjective
la·bo·ri·ous
lə-ˈbȯr-ē-əs 
1
a
: involving, requiring, or characterized by hard and sustained effort : arduous
Overland travel was not an adventurous communal leap, but a laborious, individual trek.—
Daniel J. Boorstin
Daniel J. BoorstinMaking a telescope mirror is a long and laborious process.—David Devoss and Eric Sander
David Devoss and Eric Sander
b
: characterized by long, detailed elaboration : tedious
Much of the middle of the book is a laborious account of the scouring of the ocean floor that led to the discovery of the Titanic.—The Economist
The Economist2
: devoted to labor : industrious
We have the greatest riches, the greatest fertility, … the most laborious population.—Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
laboriously
adverb
laboriousness
noun
Examples of laborious in a Sentence
a slow and laborious process
the volunteers have been commendably laborious in their cleanup of the beach
Recent Examples on the Web
The teams processed the tedious paperwork and did the yeoman’s work to dig through all of the laborious insurance responsibilities.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
Most of an editor’s time is consumed by laborious tasks like repeatedly reviewing footage, pulling selects, and assembling, which drains creative energy.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
Its high cost is due to a combination of huge demand and shrinking stocks, coupled with a laborious extraction process.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
The questionnaires are a way to weed out people with conflicts and also to provide a head start in picking a jury, which can be a laborious but vitally important part of the trial.
—John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laborious
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Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
Most of an editor’s time is consumed by laborious tasks like repeatedly reviewing footage, pulling selects, and assembling, which drains creative energy.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
Its high cost is due to a combination of huge demand and shrinking stocks, coupled with a laborious extraction process.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
The questionnaires are a way to weed out people with conflicts and also to provide a head start in picking a jury, which can be a laborious but vitally important part of the trial.
—John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laborious
Cite this Entry
“Laborious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laborious. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
laborious
adjective
la·bo·ri·ous
lə-ˈbōr-ē-əs
-ˈbȯr-
1
: devoted to work : industrious
2
: requiring hard effort
laboriously
adverb
laboriousness
noun
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