LABOR Synonyms: 227 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'labor' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of labor are drudgery , grind , toil , travail , and work . While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion. // farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Q: Where would 'drudgery' be a reasonable alternative to 'labor'?

The words drudgery and labor can be used in similar contexts, but drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor. // an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

Q: When is it sensible to use 'grind' instead of 'labor'?

The words grind and labor are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body. // the grind of the assembly line

Q: When might 'toil' be a better fit than 'labor'?

The synonyms toil and labor are sometimes interchangeable, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor. // his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

Q: When could 'travail' be used to replace 'labor'?

While in some cases nearly identical to labor , travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering. // years of travail were lost when the house burned

Q: When would 'work' be a good substitute for 'labor'?

Although the words work and labor have much in common, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force. // too tired to do any work

labor 1 of 2

noun

ˈlā-bər

Definition of labor next

as in job

a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work one of the labors of Hercules in classical mythology was to clean out the stables of King Augeas

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in effort

the active use of energy in producing a result a superhuman amount of labor must have gone into designing and building the pyramids of Egypt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in toil

very hard or unpleasant work a political dissident forced to do six months of hard labor in the salt mines as punishment

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as in childbirth

the act or process of giving birth to children the mother's labor lasted for six hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in production

something produced by physical or intellectual effort a small, personal film that was clearly a labor of love for the director and actors

Synonyms & Similar Words

labor

2 of 2

verb

as in to struggle

to devote serious and sustained effort the young lawyer labored most of the weekend over the difficult legal brief

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun labor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of labor are drudgery, grind, toil, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Where would drudgery be a reasonable alternative to labor?

The words drudgery and labor can be used in similar contexts, but drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When is it sensible to use grind instead of labor?

The words grind and labor are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When might toil be a better fit than labor?

The synonyms toil and labor are sometimes interchangeable, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When could travail be used to replace labor?

While in some cases nearly identical to labor, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

When would work be a good substitute for labor?

Although the words work and labor have much in common, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of labor

Noun

Palmetto General’s labor and delivery unit is the only one in the city of Hialeah and one of nine that remain open in Miami-Dade County. —

Verónica Egui Brito and, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2025 Below, Graves talks to Deadline about his inspirations, working with young actors and raising awareness about the plights of child labor. —

Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025

Verb

Over the last three games, the offensive line labored to keep pass rushers away from Daniels. —

Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024 New York police on Monday were trying to determine why someone set a woman ablaze board a train in Brooklyn in a fatal attack drawing outrage from city and state leaders who have been laboring to make the trains safer. —

John Bacon, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for labor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for labor

Noun

Another was fired just a month into her job after relocating more than 1,700 miles to take it.

— Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
With portions of this population not receiving an education or job, the economic future of Nigeria was in jeopardy.

— Special to the Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2025