emotional labor

American  

[ih-moh-shuh-nl ley-ber] / ɪˈmoʊ ʃə nl ˈleɪ bər /

noun

1. the sum of small acts performed by one person to make other people’s lives more pleasant and to protect them from negativity, including hiding the effort required to do so.

2. the suppression of negative emotion and the assumption of a polite and cheerful facade at work, especially by employees in the service industry, as waitstaff, flight attendants, sales clerks, etc.

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Etymology

Origin of emotional labor

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

The emotional labor of sorting through a loved one’s possessions and, especially, their paperwork is easy to overlook.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026

Moving forward, my emotional labor is to make sure that I remain full — full of creativity, joy, faith, emotional health, esteem, curiosity, rest, courage and the vibrancy of life itself.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2025

Women don the mantle of emotional labor like the latest crossbody bag, determined to make our relationships work.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2024

The first is, I’d love if people saved me the emotional labor and thought up ideas on their own.

From Slate • Nov. 3, 2023

She could not determine whether she was checked by fear or him, or by inertia—by dislike of the emotional labor of the "scenes" which would be involved in asserting independence.

From Main Street by Lewis, Sinclair