labored

[ ley-berd ]

/ ˈleɪ bərd /

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See synonyms for labored on Thesaurus.com

adjective

done or made with difficulty; heavy: labored breathing.

exhibiting a great deal of effort; lacking grace, fluency, or spontaneity: a labored prose style.

OTHER WORDS FOR labored

2 overdone, ornate, unnatural, stiff.

See synonyms for labored on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR labored

1 simple, easy.

2 plain, natural.

See antonyms for labored on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

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Origin of labored

First recorded in 1525–35; labor + -ed²

synonym study for labored

2. See elaborate.

OTHER WORDS FROM labored

la·bored·ly, adverbla·bored·ness, nounun·la·bored, adjectivewell-labored, adjective

Words nearby labored

laboratory, laboratory diagnosis, laboratory school, labor camp, Labor Day, labored, laborer, labor force, labor-intensive, laborious, Laborism

How to use labored in a sentence

This time my legs were cooperating, so I opted for a labored, independent shuffle to row eight.
The Disempowering Experience of Flying as a Disabled Person|Rebekah Taussig|November 1, 2021|Time
In making a plot pivot and then meticulously explaining itself, Old is peak Shyamalan — a little sentimental, a little surprising, a little labored.
M. Night Shyamalan returns with Old, a floppy but haunting thriller about aging|Alissa Wilkinson|July 23, 2021|Vox
That was a very long, labored death scene, which worked very well in the end.
Life After Deaths: Sean Bean on 'Game of Thrones' Paternity and 'Legends'|Jason Lynch|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Record producers labored for hours to get everything balanced.
Classic Miles Davis Recordings Reveal New Beauty in Their Classic Mono Format|Malcolm Jones|December 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Others held him up as a great statesman who labored for international peace.
How Jackie Kennedy Invented the Camelot Legend After JFK’s Death|James Piereson|November 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Rarely in modern history have so many in Washington labored so hard and produced so little.
Washington Is Waiting for Godot as President Obama’s Second-Term Agenda Stalls|Howard Kurtz|April 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Struggling to sit up, his breathing was heavily labored and each inhalation caused him obvious pain.
Despite Pledge, Syrian Rebels Continue to Torture|Jamie Dettmer|August 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Through the beautiful, windy autumn days, he labored at his difficult task, the task of telling a story.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Have we, then, labored at the most glorious of revolutions for so many years, to see it overthrown in a single day?
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
For some three years back I have labored under a disease of the throat—a bronchial affection—a severe affliction it was.
Portrait and Biography of Parson Brownlow, The Tennessee Patriot|William Gannaway Brownlow
They were not pretenders and quacks; they were sceptics who denied subjective truths, and labored for outward advantage.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord
Robert was chairman, and had labored hard to prepare a few remarks with which to open the meeting.
The Underworld|James C. Welsh