travails 1 of 2

noun

plural of travail
1
as in pains
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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2
as in efforts
very hard or unpleasant work these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain

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3
as in childbirths
the act or process of giving birth to children a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail

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travails

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of travail
as in struggles
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

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 travails
Noun
Caught between two opposing cultures, drawing on a cache of letters, documents, and remembrances, Ferrer meticulously recounts the travails of one migrant family and a punitive legal system that dogged them, skewering ideals of equity and fairness. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026 The country’s tragic 21st-century travails provide much of the fodder for the couple’s drama in director Cyril Aris’ moving film, including whether to stay or emigrate, with touches of magical realism and whimsy providing levity. — David Faris, TheWeek, 6 July 2026 Despite their travails in Tehran, the atmosphere in the cafe felt lax, with many women not heeding the country’s law requiring women to cover their heads and the shape of their bodies. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 22 June 2026 Gaudette used a series of AI tools — and not a single actor, producer or crew member — to tell his tender story of a man who, for all his travails, hardly wallows in his station. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026 Its current travails are likely to be a model for the nation too. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 11 June 2026 The travails of baristas, ride-share drivers or suburban supermarket employees don’t gather my sympathies as much as, say, the lot of the workers at the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana, or the Ford plant on Torrence Avenue in Chicago. — John Vukmirovich, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026 But through all the travails of a second consecutive 10th-place finish, developmental strides were made, tangible growth spurts for what could follow. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026 Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury division, has been stuck in a malaise for years now in large part tied to the travails of its corporate parent, but, lately, there have been some signs of life, including, possibly, a new manual performance sedan. — Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travails
  1. pains
  2. efforts
  3. childbirths
  4. struggles
  5. agonies
  6. labors
  7. deliveries
  8. strives
Noun
  • Having witnessed centuries of religious warfare in Europe, when millions were killed for their beliefs, the framers took pains to make sure nothing like that would happen here.
    — Kenneth Seeskin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Perhaps second only to getting sunburned through your favorite white dress, the greatest casualty of summer fashion is the aches and pains brought on by your cutest but least supportive shoes.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Definition of pains
Noun
  • Israel says major rehabilitation efforts won’t begin until Hamas is disarmed, and says construction equipment is dual-use and can serve military purposes.
    — Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • In other words, companies are expecting more from their comms division and a stronger ability to connect efforts with a bottom line.
    — Michelle O'Connor, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of efforts
Noun
  • Many women may not be aware at all that private details of their childbirths were shared with law enforcement.
    — Shoshana Walter, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
  • In some Michigan counties, Medicaid covers more than half of all childbirths.
    — Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of childbirths
Verb
  • Charles builds their cabin with help from a kind widower and Civil War veteran, John Edwards (Warren Christie), who struggles with alcohol; Edwards’ sometime companion (Rebecca Amzallag) is a fiercely independent bar owner.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 9 July 2026
  • Her performance as Jovie, the department store employee who struggles to get into the Yuletide frame of mind, was her big break.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 July 2026
Definition of struggles
Noun
  • The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.
    — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
  • Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 June 2026
Definition of agonies
Noun
  • Their heroic labors produced the versions that, copied and recopied on papyrus and later on parchment, arrived at last at a printing press in Florence.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
  • Justine Siegemund, a German midwife who learned her practice by studying books, was often asked to consult on complex labors.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Definition of labors
Noun
  • Solar power and advanced water recycling systems would eliminate the need for utility hookups, only requiring occasional deliveries of potable water and propane to run the systems.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • When deliveries become uncertain, companies hold more inventory.
    — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of deliveries
Verb
  • Perusing the menu online provides insight into how truly diverse Sushi Sushi strives to be.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026
  • While leadership strives to accelerate AI investment, many workers, particularly in frontline and junior positions, still don’t understand how the technology will impact their daily responsibilities or long-term career paths.
    — Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of strives

Browse Nearby Words

travailing
travails
travel
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Cite this Entry

“Travails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travails. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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