Synonyms

labored

American

[ley-berd] / ˈleɪ bərd /

adjective

done or made with difficulty; heavy.

labored breathing.

Antonyms:

easy, simple
exhibiting a great deal of effort; lacking grace, fluency, or spontaneity.

a labored prose style.

Synonyms:

stiff, unnatural, ornate, overdone

Antonyms:

natural, plain

Related Words

See elaborate.

Other Word Forms

laboredly adverb
laboredness noun
unlabored adjective
well-labored adjective

Etymology

Origin of labored

First recorded in 1525–35; labor + -ed ²

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.

On the way back I began to tire, and my strokes grew labored.

From Literature

All around are stores selling gold filigree jewelry and embroidered cloths in buildings where Jewish artisans must have labored centuries ago.

From Literature

Google for years labored to catch up in the AI race.

From The Wall Street Journal

For 15 years, Carter labored in the Valley of the Kings on the banks of the Nile opposite modern-day Luxor, seeking a pharaoh’s tomb that hadn’t been robbed.

From The Wall Street Journal

For much of 2023, Google executives labored to coordinate and align its AI development efforts.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023