TRAVAIL Synonyms: 186 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'travail' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of travail are drudgery , grind , labor , toil , and work . While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering. // years of travail were lost when the house burned

Q: In what contexts can 'drudgery' take the place of 'travail'?

The words drudgery and travail can be used in similar contexts, but drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor. // an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

Q: When would 'grind' be a good substitute for 'travail'?

Although the words grind and travail have much in common, grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body. // the grind of the assembly line

Q: When is it sensible to use 'labor' instead of 'travail'?

While in some cases nearly identical to travail , labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion. // farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Q: When could 'toil' be used to replace 'travail'?

The meanings of toil and travail largely overlap; however, toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor. // his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

Q: When might 'work' be a better fit than 'travail'?

The words work and travail are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force. // too tired to do any work

travail 1 of 2

noun

trə-ˈvāl

Definition of travail

as in distress

a state of great suffering of body or mind no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in labor

very hard or unpleasant work these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in childbirth

the act or process of giving birth to children a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail

Synonyms & Similar Words

travail

2 of 2

verb

trə-ˈvāl

as in to labor

to devote serious and sustained effort Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the noun travail contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of travail are drudgery, grind, labor, toil, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

In what contexts can drudgery take the place of travail?

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

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When would grind be a good substitute for travail?

Although the words grind and travail have much in common, grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When is it sensible to use labor instead of travail?

While in some cases nearly identical to travail, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When could toil be used to replace travail?

The meanings of toil and travail largely overlap; however, toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When might work be a better fit than travail?

The words work and travail are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 travail

Noun

My beloved barn jacket dates back to 19th-century France—referred to as a chore coat or bleu de travail—where it was worn among farmers and laborers who relied on its tough, moleskin fabric to get them through fieldwork. — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Aug. 2026 That’s partly thanks to Holland, a smart, sensitive actor who, inside a stretchy suit or not, takes his character’s emotional travails just seriously enough. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 28 July 2026

Verb

Zhong Shanshan, founder and chairman of beverage giant Nongfu Spring, has reclaimed his crown as China’s richest person amid a turnaround of his business and family travails at top rival Hangzhou Wahaha Group. — Yue Wang, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025 For Zegler, making her British stage debut, Evita must seem like a haven of sorts after her travails with the controversy that grew around Snow White, where her casting was subject to racist attacks on social media about her Colombian heritage. — Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for travail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for travail

Noun

In February 2025, a group of Yosemite employees hung an American flag upside down – a symbolic distress call – in response to the staffing cuts.

— Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
However, a Los Angeles judge ruled in April that one intentional infliction of emotional distress claim could proceed, according to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE.

— Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of distress

Noun

Instead of dispatching a service van ($150 to $300 in fuel and labor) and navigating traffic, the technician accessed the multitenant dashboard.

— Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
The other objection, pressed by organized labor, is that collective bargaining should fix all of this.

— Lamell J. McMorris, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of labor

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
Many women encounter discrimination during pregnancy and after childbirth, despite state and federal laws designed to protect them.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of childbirth

Verb

Last year, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office struggled with contractor Tyler Technologies to get money from county coffers out to districts.

— A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
But the Hurricanes struggled in the second half, and Wake Forest nearly got back into the game.

— Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of struggle

Noun

There are few harsher agonies than waiting, and throughout the great expanse of the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix presented by Rolex at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’, two riders felt that in very different ways.

— Tilly Berendt, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
But for Roma, the agony for his missing son did not end that day.

— Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of agony

Noun

Kalin said Turkey would continue to make efforts to help resolve the tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan through dialogue, the news agency reported.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
The state’s top law enforcement officer will not shed any light on why subpoenas were recently served on a slew of Broward County officials regarding the county’s efforts to explore cutting ties with the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

— Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of effort

Verb

Similarly, advertisers strive to prevent their ads from appearing next to low-quality content.

— Roman Vrublivskyi, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Till is a member of the Firekeeper Alliance, which has close ties with the festival, and strives to decrease the suicide rate among indigenous youths through teaching them about heavy metal.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of strive

Noun

The organization said the discoveries had deepened the anguish of families searching for loved ones.

— Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Their mental anguish, out-of-pocket expenses, the time caregivers devote to their work, the wages lost from forgone work — all create spectacular costs for America’s families.

— Jason Karlawish, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of anguish

Cite this Entry

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“Travail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travail. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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