1
as in diligent
involved in often constant activity
the volunteers have been commendably laborious in their cleanup of the beach
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2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
the laborious task of cleaning up the oil spill
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3
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
that report is the product of months of laborious research
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of laborious
While individually rolling classic Chicken Cordon Bleu for dinner guests can be laborious, this casserole has all the same flavor (down to the crispy breadcrumbs) with half the effort.
—
Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
Robert Campbell built the Mill Creek operation around 1790 specifically to produce lumber and farm crops for sale to the island, replacing laborious hand‑sawing as demand exploded after the British moved Fort Michilimackinac there in 1781.
—Andy Morrison, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Regulatory shortcuts exist that would allow the FDA to skip the more laborious approval process.
—Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 3 Apr. 2026
This is a laborious process, especially for a one-off usage — a scale-minded Silicon Valley firm would have no truck with it — and can take up to a month and involve some 300,000 images.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for laborious
Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
Robert Campbell built the Mill Creek operation around 1790 specifically to produce lumber and farm crops for sale to the island, replacing laborious hand‑sawing as demand exploded after the British moved Fort Michilimackinac there in 1781.
—Andy Morrison, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Regulatory shortcuts exist that would allow the FDA to skip the more laborious approval process.
—Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 3 Apr. 2026
This is a laborious process, especially for a one-off usage — a scale-minded Silicon Valley firm would have no truck with it — and can take up to a month and involve some 300,000 images.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for laborious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laborious
Adjective
-
These trees need proper attention to grow to their full potential—pruning is essential, as is being diligent against pests.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Defenseman Jacob Moverare was highlighted with the Daryl Evans Youth Hockey Service Award for his diligent and enthusiastic work with the Kings’ learn-to-play program.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Combining all of this in one material has been difficult because thermal control and signal control rely on very different properties.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
-
Despite the removal of material, the architecture can result in a busy design and potentially make reading the time difficult.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
But as challenging as these cases can be, the I-Team found the fight for workers' comp when a firefighter is battling cancer can be even more complicated.—
Ginger Allen,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
Corporations benefit from the best talent without having to hire them, which is challenging and expensive.—
Anis Uzzaman,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
SpaceX was responsible for most of the 71 rockets launched last year from Vandenberg, one of the world’s busiest spaceports.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
In response, Asia has been busy implementing a range of measures, from restricting energy use to introducing fuel subsidies, re-starting coal plants, and imposing export restrictions.—
Wendy Cutler,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Chase Meidroth made a shuffle toss to second base for a force out, but the Sox couldn’t complete what would have been a tough double play.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Our legislators must make some tough decisions; avoiding the issues is not acceptable.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Reliable Service as an Operational Standard Clients in Dallas-Fort Worth should expect something more demanding than friendliness and something less theatrical than branding.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The dual-motor setup targets higher output and improved traction for more demanding driving conditions.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
By identifying moments when viewers are likely to be more engaged, however, TV companies hope to gain some of their pricing power.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In other words, Reddit is tracking its users and only punishing only the most engaged ones.—
Jon Christian,
Futurism,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Every personal finance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
The process began with a rigorous study and a series of strategic partnerships.—
FMG Studios,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laborious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laborious. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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