LABORS Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

labors 1 of 2

noun

plural of labor

as in headaches

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

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as in efforts

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

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as in toils

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 childbirths

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

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as in products

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

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labors

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of labor

as in struggles

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

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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 labors

Noun

As emails and text messages tug at our sleeves, even a short lull in the labors of the day can feel like an indulgence. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026 The dog watched over a three-bodied giant's red cattle, and was ultimately killed by Heracles as the demigod hero sought to complete his 12 labors. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 24 July 2026 Their heroic labors produced the versions that, copied and recopied on papyrus and later on parchment, arrived at last at a printing press in Florence. — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026 Justine Siegemund, a German midwife who learned her practice by studying books, was often asked to consult on complex labors. — Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 The results of those labors, Devil’s Quarry, debuts June 10 as Season Five of Bone Valley. — Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026 People who had really long labors and deliveries are at higher risk of developing a pelvic floor prolapse. — Parents, 21 May 2026 Johnson is consistent in mirroring the release from his pedal and rarely labors when transitioning with route breaks. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 Residents need relief from high rates and the city itself labors under a hefty and ever-rising power bill, adding tens of millions to its deficit. — Craig D. Rose, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026

Verb

Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that. — Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for labors

Noun

Common symptoms include fever, headaches, body aches, joint pain, rash, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

— Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Others get quiet, clingy or suddenly complain of stomachaches and headaches.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of headaches

Noun

Watching that drama play out, Horsley led efforts for the county to buy Tunitas Creek Beach and to build amenities there.

— Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
The source said the WNBA isn’t speeding up its processes thanks to efforts to mock the league or manufacture controversy.

— Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of efforts

Noun

The gods themselves are also an unnerving presence, omnipresent beings of colossal power who see humans as their playthings and view Ulysses' toils as some twisted spectator sport.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026
There has to be a chance that Jos Buttler’s toils in Sri Lanka and India represent his last ventures on the international stage, and therefore the end of an era.

— Paul Newman, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026

Definition of toils

Verb

Startups should build evaluation sets from real customer conditions, messy data, edge cases and actual failure modes and be transparent about where the product struggles.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
The idea being to strengthen those bonds to create an environment where crime struggles to thrive.

— Heather McRea, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggles

Noun

On employment, the United States had nearly 159 million jobs in June, not including farmworkers, which was a record.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Economists’ estimated monthly employment gains of 95,000 jobs would mark an increase from June’s lower-than-expected 57,000 jobs added.

— Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of jobs

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“Labors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labors. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of labors

noun

verb

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