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.
Blank Street stores use automatic espresso machines, which improve consistency and reduce labor costs.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
Many farmers simply couldn’t produce the food we all enjoy without a labor force.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
“In the labor market, there’s been a huge power shift: Employers hold the power now, once again,” Long said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
Behind closed doors, other major Swalwell backers — including key labor unions — were reassessing their support.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
Until 1850, many of these presidents brought enslaved servants to work at the White House, which was also built and maintained with enslaved labor.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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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