1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in childbirth
the act or process of giving birth to children
a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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 travail
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025
In the newest twist, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is publicly mulling whether to try to oust Adams from office — or whether to hope the mayor’s travails will sink him in the mayoral primary set for June.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 Feb. 2025
The travels and travails of politicized sisterhood Oprah Winfrey’s and Whoopi Goldberg’s appearance together at the Academy Awards, to introduce a tribute to the late music arranger/producer and Hollywood mogul Quincy Jones, was the strangest way to begin Women’s History Month.
—Armond White, National Review, 7 Mar. 2025
While everyone might watch the S&P500 or the travails of bitcoin, it’s all driven by central bank monetary policy, and for the foreseeable future and globally, that is led by the U.S. Federal Reserve and its balance sheet operations.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for travail
Noun
Over the season’s travails, their chemistry deepens from easy and comfortable to fiercely devoted to movingly tender.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025
In the newest twist, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is publicly mulling whether to try to oust Adams from office — or whether to hope the mayor’s travails will sink him in the mayoral primary set for June.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 Feb. 2025
The travels and travails of politicized sisterhood Oprah Winfrey’s and Whoopi Goldberg’s appearance together at the Academy Awards, to introduce a tribute to the late music arranger/producer and Hollywood mogul Quincy Jones, was the strangest way to begin Women’s History Month.
—Armond White, National Review, 7 Mar. 2025
While everyone might watch the S&P500 or the travails of bitcoin, it’s all driven by central bank monetary policy, and for the foreseeable future and globally, that is led by the U.S. Federal Reserve and its balance sheet operations.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for travail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travail
Noun
-
Recorded woodpecker distress calls or raptor calls can also repel the birds.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
-
The 17-year-old’s lawsuit seeks more than $250,000 in damages and demands a jury trial on claims of negligent infliction of emotional distress, state and federal RICO violations and more.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
The idea has also drawn criticism from a number of economists and labor advocates.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
21 May 2025
-
Among the problems and setbacks at NASSCO, CRS said, were the accidental flooding of a dry dock in 2018, labor shortages, difficulty getting parts, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and failures with robotic steel cutting and welding equipment.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Over its final 20 years, the Gates Foundation will focus on ending preventable childbirth deaths, eradicate deadly infectious diseases, and lifting people out of poverty, among its other goals, the foundation’s statement said.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
8 May 2025
-
This phenomenon is rampant in the great American sport of childbirth and child-rearing.—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
5 May 2025
Verb
-
That built him a three-shot lead entering Sunday's final round. Midway through his final 18, Scheffler was struggling.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
-
Rob Crossan January 17, 2025 Marketed as a luxury tourist destination, the Maldives struggles with the legacy of an authoritarian government and the existential threat of climate change.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
At this point in the narrative, when Mike is sentenced to 14 months jail time, more conventional addiction dramas would dig into the trauma of incarceration and the agony of substance withdrawal.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
-
One young man described the particular agony of being placed carelessly in a wheelchair and forced to sit for hours atop his testicles.—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
The legal fight over these firings is a test of Trump's efforts to take control of agencies meant by Congress to be independent from the president.—
John Kruzel,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
-
While his admission may seem like a slight, cracking the list of the league’s top 10 defenders each season is a difficult task, particularly for perimeter players whose efforts aren’t as well represented by defensive metrics.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
Any journey toward elevating procurement performance should begin with a reflection on value, and CPOs must strive to balance supply security with driving cost optimization.—
Matthew Buckingham,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
-
What Thornton is striving toward, an embrace of generosity, of humanity being able to change what faith and religion even mean, is often moving.—
Ella Kemp,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
The experiment of pairing Antetokounmpo with Damian Lillard ended in anguish when Lillard tore his Achilles during the first round of the playoffs.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2025
-
Without that, the Sinaloa cartel are likely to remain a prominent, wealthy force — and more families will feel anguish like that of Vivian Aispuro’s family.—
Isobel Yeung,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Travail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travail. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share