laboured
Britishadjective
-
(of breathing) performed with difficulty
-
showing effort; contrived; lacking grace or fluency
Other Word Forms
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.
In a contest many expected to expose the gulf between elite boxing pedigree and crossover ambition, unbeaten Usyk looked uncharacteristically laboured.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
Firefighters were trying to extinguish the blazes in the still-smoldering rubble, while rescue workers laboured to pull victims from the debris and bulldozers tried to clear a path.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
Carney, an anglophone who grew up in western Canada, notably laboured to improve his French before running for prime minister last year, and his French ability was the subject of some scrutiny.
From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026
Against England at Pallekele last week, he laboured to 11 off 12 balls before being dismissed by Adil Rashid.
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
Théoden opened his eyes, and they were clear, and he spoke in a quiet voice though laboured.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
