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Definitions

labor

[ley-ber] / ˈleɪ bər /






Usage

What are other ways to say labor?

Labor particularly denotes hard manual work: backbreaking labor; arduous labor. Drudgery suggests continuous, dreary, and dispiriting work, especially of a menial or servile kind: the drudgery of household tasks.  Toil suggests wearying or exhausting labor: toil that breaks down the worker's health. Work is the general word and may apply to exertion that is either easy or hard: fun work; heavy work. 


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The district denies the labor violations, and both sides have filed accusations against the other with the state labor governing body.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

At the same time, input costs—from labor to ingredients—remain elevated, squeezing profit margins.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

“We can see this as part of a broader trend of the labor movement to try to get some strategic leverage,” Higbie said of the unions’ alignment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

It means letting go of the expectation that women provide free emotional and physical labor, and it requires expecting more of men.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

And she endured eight hours of labor before I came.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day




Vocabulary lists containing labor