Looks laborious.

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Looks laborious." is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a task or activity that appears to require a lot of effort or hard work. Example: "The project involves sorting through thousands of documents, and it looks laborious."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"It's obviously a labour of love, but it never looks laborious.

The Guardian - Film

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The labor was never meant to look laborious.

The New York Times - Books

It doesn't look too laborious.

Huffington Post

The latter, by contrast, looks much more laborious and appears less graceful.

The Guardian

By comparison, America's laborious process looks rather attractive.

The Economist

One method, using a "pricking iron", which looks like a fork, is laborious and hard to get straight; the other uses a "pricking wheel" – like a pastry edger – which zips along neatly but is much less satisfying.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

There's also the opposite effect, in which fantasyland is made to look boring, even laborious.

The Guardian - Film

But it certainly looks like scoring is going to laborious for a team missing its No. 1 option against a strong Celtics defense.

Forbes

The cut-up photograph is a feat of virtuoso improvisation, nodding toward Matisse and turning a laborious process into something that looks as light as snow or butterfly wings.

The New York Times - Arts

It looks like what it is: a pedantic and laborious imitation.

The Guardian - Arts

The color-match wallpapers add to the charm of the overall package, and that's likely to appeal to customers who just want a device that looks great out of the box and doesn't require any laborious customization.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "looks laborious" to describe processes or tasks that give the impression of being time-consuming and requiring significant effort. It's effective when you want to convey the perceived difficulty rather than the actual experience.

Common error

Avoid using "looks laborious" when you know the task is simple but only appears complex. Reserve it for situations where the perception aligns with a genuine impression of difficulty.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "looks laborious" functions as a descriptive expression, where "looks" acts as a linking verb connecting the subject to the adjective "laborious". As noted by Ludwig, it indicates that something gives the impression of requiring significant effort.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Academia

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "looks laborious" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase that describes something appearing difficult or requiring significant effort. Ludwig AI validates its correctness and provides examples from reputable sources like The Guardian and The New York Times. The phrase is most commonly found in news and media, with some usage in academic contexts. Alternatives such as "seems arduous" or "appears strenuous" can be used for variety, but "looks laborious" remains a clear and effective way to convey the perception of a demanding task.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

seems arduous

Replaces "looks" with "seems" and "laborious" with "arduous", both suggesting a task appears difficult.

appears strenuous

Substitutes "looks" with "appears" and "laborious" with "strenuous", highlighting the apparent effort required.

seems like hard work

Rephrases the idea to emphasize the perception of difficulty.

appears to be difficult

Focuses on the perceived level of difficulty.

looks like a chore

Uses the term "chore" to imply a tedious and demanding task.

appears demanding

Highlights the demanding nature of the task as perceived.

seems painstaking

Emphasizes the meticulous and careful effort that appears to be needed.

looks tiresome

Suggests the task appears to be tiring and likely to cause fatigue.

appears to require effort

Directly states the perception that the task needs substantial effort.

seems complicated

Shifts the focus to the perceived complexity of the task.

FAQs

How can I use "looks laborious" in a sentence?

You can use "looks laborious" to describe something that seems to require a lot of effort. For example, "The project of sorting through thousands of documents "looks laborious"".

What can I say instead of "looks laborious"?

You can use alternatives like "seems arduous", "appears strenuous", or "seems like hard work" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "looks laborious"?

It's appropriate when describing a task or activity that, based on observation, appears to be difficult and time-consuming. Use it to convey the perceived effort involved, rather than the actual experience of doing it.

Is "looks laborious" formal or informal?

The phrase "looks laborious" is relatively neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, more formal settings might benefit from alternatives like "appears strenuous".