labor
Americannoun
-
labors
plural
-
productive activity, especially for the sake of economic gain.
-
the body of persons engaged in such activity, especially those working for wages.
- Synonyms:
- working class
-
this body of persons considered as a class (distinguished from management andcapital ).
-
physical or mental work, especially of a hard or fatiguing kind; toil.
- Synonyms:
- exertion
-
a job or task done or to be done.
-
the physical effort and periodic uterine contractions of childbirth.
- Synonyms:
- delivery, parturition
-
the interval from the onset of these contractions to childbirth.
-
Also called Labor Department. Informal. Labor. the Department of Labor.
verb (used without object)
-
labors,
present (3rd person singular)
-
labored,
past participle, past
-
laboring
present participle
-
to perform labor; exert one's powers of body or mind; work; toil.
- Synonyms:
- drudge
- Antonyms:
- rest
-
to strive, as toward a goal; work hard (often followed byfor ).
to labor for peace.
-
to act, behave, or function at a disadvantage (usually followed byunder ).
to labor under a misapprehension.
-
to be in the actual process of giving birth.
-
to roll or pitch heavily, as a ship.
verb (used with object)
-
labors,
present (3rd person singular)
-
labored,
past participle, past
-
laboring
present participle
adjective
verb
Usage
What are other ways to say labor? Labor refers to mental or physical work, especially that which is hard or fatiguing. When should you use labor instead of work, drudgery, or toil? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prelabornoun
-
outlaborverb (used with object)
-
overlaborverb (used with object)
-
antilaboradjective
-
laborlessadjective
-
nonlaboradjective
-
prolaboradjective
-
unlaboringadjective
-
laboringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
laborsimple
-
laborssimple
-
have laboredperfect
-
has laboredperfect
-
am laboringprogressive
-
are laboringprogressive
-
is laboringprogressive
-
have been laboringperfect progressive
-
has been laboringperfect progressive
Past
-
laboredsimple
-
had laboredperfect
-
was laboringprogressive
-
were laboringprogressive
-
had been laboringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of labor
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English labour, from Old French, from Latin labōr- (stem of labor ) “work”
Explanation
Although the word labor seems to suggest tough, physical work that makes you sweat, any type of work, whether physical or mental, can be considered labor. Labor is usually associated with very hard, physical work, suggesting fatigue and aching muscles. In fact, a woman giving birth is said to be in labor, giving true meaning to the phrase "labor of love." The word can also be used as a verb, as in "He had to labor many years to pay off his debt." That sense of hard work fits in with the Labor Party of some nations, a party generally favored by and supporting the working class.
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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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.
See Examples For:
The number of long-term unemployed has also shrunk, however, to add to the evidence of stabilized labor market.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
Domestic demand should remain supported by a strong labor market, steady wage growth and government measures, while robust electronics exports and a recovery in other exports should underpin growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The company in March as part of a settlement admitted it had violated federal labor law when it hassled employees and agreed to pay $50,000 to the fired worker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Organized by veteran civil rights leader Al Sharpton and led by King's son Martin Luther King III, the demonstration drew support from more than 90 civil rights, labor, faith and community organizations.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
A boy who looked like he was my age told me his uncle took a piece of fruit that did not belong to him and was sentenced to five years of hard labor in Aswan.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
Much has been said, notably by the critic Harold Bloom, about the agony of the artist who labors under the shadow of the greats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026
The hivemind refuses to hurt or kill any living being, states its preference for vegetarianism and merrily labors to care for the few who aren’t like them.
From Salon ● Nov. 26, 2025
The box is carved with scenes of the labors of Hercules, while the lid is decorated with monumental reclining figures of the deceased.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
As Rams coach Sean McVay and Snead navigate their ninth season together, they can’t avoid seeing throughout the NFL the fruits — and competitive challenges — created by their labors and success.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2025
He was holding a gigantic ice-cream cone that he had received for his labors; He casually pulled the door shut before making his way toward Prosper and Hornet.
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
The noise of backhoes, cranes and bulldozers echoed across Colombia's quake-hit cities on Sunday as workers labored to remove rubble, though the chance of finding survivors was slim a week after the disaster.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Rather, they meant to establish what Lincoln called a “standard maxim for free society,” which should be constantly looked to, labored for and more nearly approximated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Last Thanksgiving, Megan Thee Stallion labored for days to prepare an elaborate holiday dinner for then-boyfriend Klay Thompson and his family.
From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2026
Initially intriguing, the jumbled chronology eventually proves to be largely decorative until a disappointing late-reel twist explains why the labored device was deployed in the first place.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
The wolf was breathing hard, but it wasn’t as labored as it had been.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Spirit has been laboring to emerge from its second trip to bankruptcy in less than a year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
A quarter-century Jean’s senior, David is trying to finish a stalled book project, laboring in the shadow of his more prolific and successful wife, Ann.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
You probably know it already — you’ve seen oil pumpjacks laboring away in nutty places, like on the La Cienega Boulevard shortcut through Baldwin Hills to the airport.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
"For decades, while laboring in the vineyards of the community, he inspired us to keep hope alive in the struggle for liberty and justice for all," the Democrat said.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
He glanced up briefly and scowled again before turning back to whatever verse he was laboring over.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
