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laborious definition

la·bo·ri·ous (lə bôr′ē əs)

adjective

  1. involving or calling for much hard work; difficult
  2. industrious; hardworking
  3. labored

Etymology: ME < OFr laborios < L laboriosus < labor, labor

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

laborious Synonyms

laborious

modif.

  1. Difficult

    arduous, hard, stiff; see difficult 1.

  2. Industrious

    assiduous, indefatigable, diligent; see active 2. See syn. study at difficult.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

laborious Usage Examples

Infinitive complement

  • read: I've read much shorter books which were much more laborious to read.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • make: This has made the book more laborious to produce, but has made the finished product a better teaching device.

Modifies a noun

  • task: More laborious tasks need only have more storage capacity.

Modifying Another Word

  • somewhat: Drawing a map for future attempts is slow and somewhat laborious.

Used with adjective complement

  • seem: That several minute trek was compulsory, and, at the time, seemed laborious, even unnecessary.
laborious usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

laborious quotes

   The rising unto place is laborious, and by pains men come to greater pains; and it is sometimes base, and by indignities men come to dignities. The standing is slippery, and theregressiseithera downfall, orat least an eclipse, which is a melancholy thing: Cum non sis qui fueris, non esse cur velis vivere.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

Studious of laborious ease.

-Cowper,William

laborious quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"laborious." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/laborious>

APA Style

laborious. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/laborious

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