hard labor
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of hard labor
First recorded in 1850–55
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.
Five years of hard labor as market gardeners ended when Mr. Hoffman injured his back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
It’s hard labor, but nothing in her life has been easy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
Plus, there was no getting around the fact that Ernesto was getting older, less desirable for hard labor.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026
At first condemned to hard labor, Wenjie catches the eye of the architects of a nearby scientific project run by the government.
From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2024
But he was ecstatic, because the prospect of those endless years of hard labor did not seem like a burden to him.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
