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

Making a telescope mirror is a long and laborious process.

—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

2

: devoted to labor : industrious

We have the greatest riches, the greatest fertility, … the most laborious population.

—Joseph Conrad

laboriously adverb

laboriousness noun

Synonyms

• active
• assiduous
• bustling
• busy
• diligent
• employed
• engaged
• hopping
• industrious
• occupied
• sedulous
• tied-up
• working

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

Middle East experts note that the work became even more laborious after President Donald J. Trump left the White House. —Kate Kelly, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024

While the Extraordinary Visa remains popular, its strict requirements and laborious process also limit who can apply and who is accepted. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024

And hiring experts warn that companies using laborious assignments and hardball tactics in recruitment could be counterproductive, by deterring strong candidates and adding new biases to the process. —Lauren Goode, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024

But all shipments must go through a laborious process of loading onto trucks that travel to an Israeli inspection site, only to be unloaded and reloaded again to then join an ever-growing line of vehicles waiting to enter the Palestinian territory. —Alex Horton, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024

The laborious roast, clearly, is off the table for midweek dinner. —Christopher Kimball, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024

Amending the constitution is a laborious process and a rare event in France. —Barbara Surk, Fortune Europe, 4 Mar. 2024

Creating these hats is a laborious process that requires special machinery from the 1930s and ’40s, which Thompson considers the golden age of his craft. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2024

The onboarding and offboarding process—also laborious and time-consuming—can be streamlined through automation as well. —Douglas Murray, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids 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