a laborious task

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a laborious task" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a task that requires a lot of effort, time, and hard work. Example: "Completing the project on time was a laborious task, but the team managed to pull it off."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

42 human-written examples

On the other side, evaluation of ambient services is often a laborious task.

Robotics and Autonomous Systems

However, interoperating between different information models on a syntactic level proved to be a laborious task.

Stanford University

"It's a laborious task to sell unrenovated apartments," said Jill Jordan, a broker with Halstead Property.

The New York Times

It was a laborious task to upload this file onto a jihadist Web forum.

MIT Technology Review

So far, it has been a laborious task for the police, leaving as many questions unanswered as raised.

The New York Times

Selecting the pieces was a laborious task, as the palace collection is estimated to include a million artifacts.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

18 human-written examples

Where most models would simulate the flow of granular material on a grain-by-grain basis — a computationally laborious task — Kamrin's continuum model represents the average behavior of a small cube of grains, and builds into the model effects from neighboring cubes.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

However, screening the pathogenicity for each identified SNP experimentally is often a very laborious task that requires a considerable amount of time.

Human Mutation

This isn't a particularly laborious task, but it is a regression from the wonderfully easy method of clicking category (I want to watch something funny) then clicking the back and forth arrows and watching different programmes slide past.

BBC

Flagging the most important PoI (among many) and establishing their time-sequencing combine in a particularly laborious task requiring the skilled interaction of a multitude of resources [35, 36].

Journal of Modern Transportation

First, though, someone had to go through the contents of the place, a surprisingly laborious task.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a task as "a laborious task", provide context about why it is so, specifying the factors that contribute to its difficulty or time consumption.

Common error

Avoid using "a laborious task" repeatedly in close proximity. Vary your language by using synonyms like "a challenging endeavor" or "a demanding job" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a laborious task" functions as a noun phrase, where 'laborious' modifies 'task'. It acts as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence, describing a specific activity that requires significant effort. Ludwig examples illustrate its use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

32%

Academia

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

4%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a laborious task" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to describe activities requiring significant effort and time. Ludwig's AI confirms its validity and usefulness across diverse contexts, including science, news media, and academia. While generally neutral to formal, varying your word choice is recommended to maintain reader engagement. Consider using alternatives such as "a challenging endeavor" or "a demanding job". Remember to provide context when using the phrase to enhance clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a difficult undertaking

Swaps 'laborious' for 'difficult', portraying the task as hard to accomplish.

a demanding job

Replaces 'task' with 'job', implying a more structured and ongoing activity.

a challenging endeavor

Changes 'laborious' to 'challenging' implying difficulty that tests one's abilities and strength.

an arduous assignment

Substitutes 'task' with 'assignment' and 'laborious' with 'arduous', highlighting the challenging nature of the work.

a strenuous undertaking

Uses 'undertaking' instead of 'task' and 'strenuous' for 'laborious', emphasizing the effort involved.

a taxing endeavor

Replaces 'task' with 'endeavor' and 'laborious' with 'taxing', focusing on the depleting effect of the activity.

a grueling effort

Replaces 'task' with 'effort' and 'laborious' with 'grueling', highlighting the exhausting aspect of the work.

a burdensome activity

Uses 'activity' instead of 'task' and 'burdensome' for 'laborious', emphasizing the heavy load it represents.

a time-consuming process

Shifts the focus to the duration of the task by describing it as taking a lot of time.

a complex operation

Replaces 'task' with 'operation' and 'laborious' with 'complex', emphasizing the intricate nature of the activity.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "a laborious task" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider alternatives like "a demanding undertaking", "a strenuous undertaking", or "an arduous assignment". These options convey the effort required in a sophisticated manner.

What's the difference between "a laborious task" and "a tedious task"?

"A laborious task" emphasizes the physical or mental effort required, while "a tedious task" focuses on the monotonous and repetitive nature of the work. Both imply unpleasantness, but for different reasons.

Is it correct to use "laborious" to describe a person?

While "laborious" primarily describes tasks or processes, it can be used to describe a person's approach to work, implying they are diligent and painstaking. However, it's more common to use adjectives like "diligent", "industrious", or "hardworking".

Can I use "laborious" to describe something other than a task?

Yes, "laborious" can describe anything requiring significant effort, such as "a laborious process" or "a laborious effort". The key is that it involves considerable work and difficulty. For example, "The cost estimates are supposed to take into consideration every yard of concrete and every pound of steel needed for construction, as well as many other factors — a laborious task that can take one or two years for a team of estimators."