LABORS Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

labors 1 of 2

noun

plural of labor

as in headaches

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

as in efforts

the active use of energy in producing a result a superhuman amount of labor must have gone into designing and building the pyramids of Egypt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in toils

very hard or unpleasant work a political dissident forced to do six months of hard labor in the salt mines as punishment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in childbirths

the act or process of giving birth to children the mother's labor lasted for six hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in products

something produced by physical or intellectual effort a small, personal film that was clearly a labor of love for the director and actors

Synonyms & Similar Words

labors

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of labor

as in struggles

to devote serious and sustained effort the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief

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 labors

Noun

The play takes a strange turn when Heracles arrives amid his twelve labors. — Kristin Idaszak, Longreads, 22 Oct. 2026 There’s a slickness to the carnage that rubs uncomfortably against the film’s humanist ethos, rendering artificial (for all Shen Teng’s trembling and mouth-contorting labors) the horrific tragedies that befall its characters. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 In these labors, Carson is akin to two other recent laureates, Jon Fosse and László Krasznahorkai, our foremost writers of holy fools. — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026 Teaching and coaching are labors of love passed down from Lee’s father, Robert, who spent his career coaching and teaching students in Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. — Pj Green august 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026 Exclusion generates the prestige toward which unpaid labors strive. — M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026 Do not restrict yourself from enjoying the rewards of your labors. — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2026 As emails and text messages tug at our sleeves, even a short lull in the labors of the day can feel like an indulgence. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026 The dog watched over a three-bodied giant's red cattle, and was ultimately killed by Heracles as the demigod hero sought to complete his 12 labors. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Verb

Thoroughly unimpressed by her suburban idyll, and evidently unmoved by her responsibilities as wife and mother, Denise labors in her basement on a novel whose protagonist wishes to forsake her family for a life in New York. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026 Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that. — Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for labors

Noun

Nearsightedness in childhood can mean headaches, learning difficulties and the cost and inconvenience of glasses or contacts.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Other areas researched include inflammation, headaches, lung function, arthritis, bone density, blood pressure and substance use.

— Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of headaches

Noun

The gods themselves are also an unnerving presence, omnipresent beings of colossal power who see humans as their playthings and view Ulysses' toils as some twisted spectator sport.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026
There has to be a chance that Jos Buttler’s toils in Sri Lanka and India represent his last ventures on the international stage, and therefore the end of an era.

— Paul Newman, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026

Definition of toils

Noun

The human neurons suffered severe, selective damage, mimicking the cellular breakdown that causes cerebral palsy in human infants during difficult childbirths.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Congo's has among the world's highest rates of both childbirths per woman and deaths around childbirth.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of childbirths

Noun

Weed that exceeds the state’s pesticide limits is destroyed, diluted or converted into products with higher pesticide allowances, such as edibles.

— Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
Two construction workers who worked on one of the public housing complexes told The New York Times their team stretched materials by mixing other products into the concrete.

— Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of products

Verb

Content produced entirely by AI often struggles to build the trust and loyalty that keep customers coming back.

— Kylie Slavik, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
Eight wage claims alleged unpaid wages, delayed tips, bounced checks and struggles with accessing payroll records, the outlet reported.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of struggles

Noun

For millions of families working in low-wage jobs, this would mean an extra $375 in their tax return each year.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Nov. 2026
In exchange for the tax abatement, Winstron promised more than 800 jobs with minimum annual salaries of $63,000.

— Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of jobs

Noun

In addition to presenting works by company artists-in-residence, father and son Yanis and Yanis Eric Pikieris, Dimensions has brought in dance makers from across the United States, amplifying their reach and our perspective.

— Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2026
The slate of titles features award winners like Hamaguchi’s All Of A Sudden, which won Best Actress for its two leads at Cannes, alongside regional box-office hits, debut works by up-and-coming talents and new works by leading auteurs.

— Zac Ntim, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2026