laborious

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'laborious' is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it to refer to an activity or task that takes a lot of effort or is difficult to do. For example, "It was a laborious process to finish this project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

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

"And you need to be methodical – some of the examinations can be laborious and time consuming.

The Guardian - Money

Laborious and complex, the talks have been dogged by finger-pointing between rich and poor countries over sharing the burden for curbing carbon emissions.

The Guardian

The filming itself was a laborious and uncomfortable process.

The Guardian

On paper, it couldn't have been simpler – you line up a piece of leather with the sole, thread your needle and sew through pre-pressed holes – but I hadn't braced myself for how utterly laborious the job would be.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Despite these technological aids, collecting information in any murder investigation remains a laborious, painstaking business.

The Guardian

"It is a laborious business.

The Guardian

Again, BSI provided measurements that agreed with those obtained in other, more laborious ways.The simplicity of BSI means it should find application in both research and treatment.

The Economist

Mr Obama's reaction to the oil spill follows the same narrative.Instead of leading by helping states and local authorities cut through the many bureaucratic obstacles of the federal government, the president has insisted on following the laborious process of conducting environmental reviews of local plans to build barriers that protect fragile wetlands.

The Economist

On its own, each makes man's lot that little bit easier, and browsing less laborious.

The Economist

With only 17,200 of nearly 23,000 ballot boxes audited, and several thousand boxes set aside for a laborious "special scrutiny", few people in Kabul can believe that Afghanistan will have its new president by next week.Meanwhile the election is taking a serious toll on the country.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair "laborious" with specific details about the task to highlight the reasons for its difficulty. For example, "The translation was laborious due to the technical jargon and complex sentence structures."

Common error

Avoid using "laborious" to describe tasks that are merely time-consuming but not particularly difficult. "Laborious" should be reserved for processes that involve considerable effort, skill, or complexity. Using it inappropriately can dilute its impact and appear hyperbolic.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "laborious" primarily functions to describe a task, process, or activity as requiring significant effort and time. It's frequently used to emphasize the extensive work involved, as seen in Ludwig's examples, which showcase it describing audits, investigations, and processes.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Formal & Business

32%

Science

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "laborious" is an adjective used to describe tasks or activities requiring considerable effort and time. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage across diverse contexts, notably in news, formal business, and scientific domains. The semantic spectrum of "laborious" includes synonyms like "arduous" and "toilsome". Effective use involves applying "laborious" to processes genuinely demanding in effort and complexity, avoiding overuse in simple tasks. A key takeaway is to leverage "laborious" to emphasize significant effort involved in data collection, translation, and similar tasks, enhancing the impact of your descriptions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

arduous

Focuses on the difficulty and steepness of the effort involved.

toilsome

Highlights the exhausting nature of the work.

strenuous

Emphasizes the physical exertion required.

burdensome

Suggests the task is heavy and difficult to bear.

demanding

Indicates the task requires a lot of effort, skill, or attention.

exacting

Stresses the need for precision and careful execution.

taxing

Implies the task drains energy and resources.

grueling

Conveys extreme exhaustion and hardship.

onerous

Similar to burdensome but often implies a legal or moral obligation.

heavy-duty

Describes something requiring a lot of effort, resources, or care.

FAQs

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

Use "laborious" to describe a task or process that requires significant effort and time. For example, "The process of manually verifying each entry was incredibly "laborious"."

What are some alternatives to using "laborious"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "arduous", "toilsome", or "strenuous" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it correct to use "laborious" to describe a mental task?

Yes, "laborious" can describe both physical and mental tasks that require considerable effort. For example, "The intellectual exercise of solving the complex equation was "laborious"."

What's the difference between "laborious" and "difficult"?

"Laborious" specifically emphasizes the amount of effort and time required, while "difficult" refers to the degree of complexity or challenge. A task can be difficult without being "laborious", and vice versa.