travail

1 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 of travail affliction, agony, anguish, excruciation, hurt, misery, pain, rack, strait(s), torment, torture, distress, tribulation, woeWords Related to travail discomfort; cross, crucible, trial; heartache, heartbreak, joylessness, sadness, sorrow, unhappiness; emergency, pinch; asperity, difficulty, hardship, rigor; ache, pang, smarting, soreness, stitch, throe, twinge; danger, jeopardy, troubleNear Antonyms of travail comfort, consolation, solace; alleviation, assuagement, ease, relief; peace, security; well-being

2 very hard or unpleasant work these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain Synonyms of travail donkeywork, drudge, drudgery, fatigue, grind, labor, moil, slavery, sweat, toilWords Related to travail spadework; effort, exertion, pains, struggle, trouble; chore, duty, job, obligation, responsibility; routine, tedium, treadmillNear Antonyms of travail decompression, ease, leisure, relaxation, repose, rest; amusement, dalliance, diversion, entertainment, recreation, sport; dormancy, idleness, inactivity, inertia, inertness; dallying, goldbricking, loafing, lolling, loungingAntonyms of travail fun, play

3 the act or process of giving birth to children a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail Synonyms of travail accouchement, childbearing, delivery, labor, parturition, childbirthWords Related to travail birth pang, contraction, pains; pregnancy; abortion, miscarriage; cesarean section (or caesarean section), natural childbirth; childbed, confinement, lying-in

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 of travail bang away, beaver (away), dig (away), drudge, endeavor, fag, grub, hump, hustle, moil, peg (away), plod, plow, plug, slave, slog, strain, strive, struggle, sweat, toil, labor, tug, workWords Related to travail apply (oneself), buckle (down), dig in, hammer (away), knuckle down, pitch in; attack, drive; essay, try; exercise, exert, overexert, overwork; eke out, grind (out), put out, scrabble, scratch; trudge, wadeNear Antonyms of travail break, ease (up), let up, slacken; bum, chill, dally, dillydally, footle, goldbrick, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), idle, laze, loaf, lounge, shirk, slack (off), veg out; bask, loll, relax, repose, rest, unwind; dabble, doodle, fool around, fribble, goof (around), hang, hang about [British], mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle