labor
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.
Seeking an end to forced labor, they demanded economic justice and the right to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026
Even basic construction labor, cement, rebar and cooling systems could pose constraints.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
Inflation for materials and labor, and backlogs in the supply chain, are driving project costs higher.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Going into the Iran war, labor markets had been weakening and central bankers had started to normalize balance sheets.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
He said looking for work was more worry than a hard day’s labor.
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
Vocabulary lists containing labor
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Labor Day Lexicon: Words That Put You To Work
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Working Together: The Language of Unions
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