labor

American  

[ley-ber] / ˈleɪ bər /

especially British, labour

noun

1. productive activity, especially for the sake of economic gain.

   Antonyms:

   rest, leisure, idleness

2. the body of persons engaged in such activity, especially those working for wages.

   Synonyms:

   working class

3. this body of persons considered as a class (distinguished from management andcapital ).

4. physical or mental work, especially of a hard or fatiguing kind; toil.

   Synonyms:

   exertion

   Antonyms:

   rest, leisure, idleness

5. a job or task done or to be done.

6. the physical effort and periodic uterine contractions of childbirth.

   Synonyms:

   delivery, parturition

7. the interval from the onset of these contractions to childbirth.

8. Also called Labor Department.  Informal. Labor. the Department of Labor.

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verb (used without object)

labors, present (3rd person singular) labored, past participle, past laboring present participle

1. to perform labor; exert one's powers of body or mind; work; toil.

   Synonyms:

   drudge

   Antonyms:

   rest

2. to strive, as toward a goal; work hard (often followed byfor ).

   to labor for peace.

3. to act, behave, or function at a disadvantage (usually followed byunder ).

   to labor under a misapprehension.

4. to be in the actual process of giving birth.

5. to roll or pitch heavily, as a ship.

verb (used with object)

labors, present (3rd person singular) labored, past participle, past laboring present participle

1. to develop or dwell on in excessive detail.

   Don't labor the point.

   Synonyms:

   overdo, belabor

2. to burden or tire.

   to labor the reader with unnecessary detail.

3. British Dialect. to work or till (soil or the like).

adjective

1. of or relating to workers, their associations, or working conditions.

   labor reforms.

labor British  

/ ˈleɪbə /

verb

1. the US spelling of labour

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labor Scientific  

/ lā′bər /

1. The process by which the birth of a mammal occurs, beginning with contractions of the uterus and ending with the expulsion of the fetus and the placenta.

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labor Cultural  

1. The physical processes at the end of a normal pregnancy, including opening of the cervix and contractions of the uterus, that lead to the birth of the baby.

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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

• outlabor
  verb (used with object)
• unlaboring
  adjective
• prelabor
  noun
• laboringly
  adverb
• laborless
  adjective
• overlabor
  verb (used with object)
• nonlabor
  adjective
• prolabor
  adjective
• antilabor
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has labored
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have labored
  perfect
• have been laboring
  perfect progressive
• am laboring
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been laboring
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• laboring
  participle
• are laboring
  progressive
• is laboring
  progressive 3rd person singular
• labors
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had labored
  perfect
• were laboring
  progressive plural
• was laboring
  progressive singular
• had been laboring
  perfect progressive
• labored
  simple
• labored
  participle

Future

• will labor
  simple
• will have labored
  perfect
• will be laboring
  progressive
• will have been laboring
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

Cheap hydropower, relatively low labor costs and proximity to U.S. markets have further deepened investor interest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

With the labor seemingly on solid footing now, Wall Street turns its attention to the other side of the Federal Open Market Committee’s dual mandate: price stability.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

“It was just, you know, a labor of love, wanting to make sure that we had the opportunity to bring something to Canada.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

Many of the price complaints in business surveys are classic supply constraints: tariffs; Persian Gulf energy volatility; construction materials; tight skilled labor and AI-driven bottlenecks.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026

Even women like Lisa, women lucky enough to marry profitable silk merchants, labor through astonishingly rigid lives.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Related Words

• activity
• employment
• energy
• industry
• job