labor 1 of 2

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
5

labor

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun labor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of labor are drudgery, grind, toil, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Where would drudgery be a reasonable alternative to labor?

The words drudgery and labor can be used in similar contexts, but drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When is it sensible to use grind instead of labor?

The words grind and labor are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When might toil be a better fit than labor?

The synonyms toil and labor are sometimes interchangeable, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When could travail be used to replace labor?

While in some cases nearly identical to labor, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

When would work be a good substitute for labor?

Although the words work and labor have much in common, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

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 labor
Noun
That’s not surprising to me with Chobani, because that’s much more labor intensive, as opposed to Micron being more capital intensive. Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 24 Apr. 2025 He was suspected of being involved in labor/human trafficking, according to a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) report obtained by Fox News. Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
Biblical scholars and archaeologists have long labored to understand how ancient people created those kinds of colorful garments and textiles, as well as the role that color—especially purple, a rare pigment associated with royalty—played in ancient society. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025 Anyone who has labored hard for anything knows that investing effort makes the final prize sweeter – whether in love, career, sports or Ikea furniture assembly. Piotr Winkielman, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for labor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor
Noun
  • Sure enough, in early 2024, PJ took a job as an avionics technician at Tinker.
    Jenni Carlson, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The premise alone is perfectly thrilling: Four men take a job driving explosive nitroglycerin over a mountain pass.
    Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Washington — The Supreme Court on Wednesday is set to hear arguments in a high-profile dispute over efforts in Oklahoma to create an online Catholic charter school, a case that could open the door to public dollars flowing directly to religious schools.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Trump has argued otherwise saying in his order that rather than fostering unity, ''the widespread effort to rewrite history deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of national shame, disregarding the progress America has made.
    Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The precise planting also reduces water loss to make your garden more efficient and productive with less toil and cost.
    Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Others are brilliant master watchmakers who long toil for other brands and one day strike out on their own to prove their mettle.
    Carol Besler, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The report underscores the urgent need for changes ensuring all women receive safe and equitable care during pregnancy and childbirth.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are some of the leading causes of death for girls between the ages of 15 to 19 across the world, according to the WHO.
    Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 13 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Most Carmen opera or ballet productions draw the story from the 1854 novella by French writer Prosper Mérimée — and generally are set in 19th century Spain.
    Lisa Vernon Sparks, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The state government collects significant taxes and royalties on oil production.
    Brett Watson, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • With Andrew Wiggins clearly limited by lower body injuries, Nikola Jović struggling to shoot returning from a hand injury and rookie center Kel’el Ware simply not ready to compete at this high of a level, Miami just couldn’t come close in the end.
    Anthony Slater, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
  • In Trump's first term, Republicans often struggled to pass major legislation despite holding full control of government, and the party is likely fearing history repeating itself.
    Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Dehydration can be dangerous and may result in headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and other unpleasant symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
    Sarah Klein, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Not everyone with a mild headache needs a CT scan of the brain.
    Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Harry, who was honored at the 2024 event for his work as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan during his 10 years in the military, joined Morgan Freeman and others in celebrating the aerial firefighters involved with the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles in January.
    Stephanie Petit, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • His work involved securing software using AI to find and close any loopholes where someone could exploit a vulnerability in the code.
    Matt Emma, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Labor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labor. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on labor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!