laborious

adjective

la·​bo·​ri·​ous lə-ˈbȯr-ē-əs 

1

a

: involving, requiring, or characterized by hard and sustained effort : arduous

Overland travel was not an adventurous communal leap, but a laborious, individual trek.

—Daniel J. Boorstin

Making a telescope mirror is a long and laborious process.

—David Devoss and Eric Sander

b

: characterized by long, detailed elaboration : tedious

Much of the middle of the book is a laborious account of the scouring of the ocean floor that led to the discovery of the Titanic.

—The Economist

2

: devoted to labor : industrious

We have the greatest riches, the greatest fertility, … the most laborious population.

—Joseph Conrad

laboriously adverb

laboriousness noun

Synonyms

• active
• assiduous
• bustling
• busy
• diligent
• employed
• engaged
• hopping
• industrious
• occupied
• sedulous
• tied-up
• working

Examples of laborious in a Sentence

a slow and laborious process

the volunteers have been commendably laborious in their cleanup of the beach

Recent Examples on the Web

But syncing up isn’t something Washington does so often, and even when the legislative and executive branches are held by allies, the system is designed to be laborious. —Evan Clark, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024

Among the family’s myriad winsome qualities is their sometimes laborious dedication to family tradition, with no occasion too small to merit its own generations-spanning ritual. —Nico Lang, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024

Vaccine design is typically slow and laborious, but AI may speed up and streamline the process. —Katharine Gammon, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024

Writing a book-length critique about the shortcomings of White House executives (i.e., extremely type-A careerist obsessives) is a laborious way to make enemies. —Alexander Sorondo, Vox, 31 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

laborious

adjective

la·​bo·​ri·​ous lə-ˈbōr-ē-əs 

-ˈbȯr-

1

: devoted to work : industrious

2

: requiring hard effort

laboriously adverb

laboriousness noun