laborious
adjective
la·bo·ri·ous
lə-ˈbȯr-ē-əs 
1
a
: involving, requiring, or characterized by hard and sustained effort : arduous
Overland travel was not an adventurous communal leap, but a laborious, individual trek.—
Daniel J. Boorstin
Daniel J. BoorstinMaking a telescope mirror is a long and laborious process.—David Devoss and Eric Sander
David Devoss and Eric Sander
b
: characterized by long, detailed elaboration : tedious
Much of the middle of the book is a laborious account of the scouring of the ocean floor that led to the discovery of the Titanic.—The Economist
The Economist2
: devoted to labor : industrious
We have the greatest riches, the greatest fertility, … the most laborious population.—Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
laboriously
adverb
laboriousness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of laborious in a Sentence
a slow and laborious process
the volunteers have been commendably laborious in their cleanup of the beach
Recent Examples on the Web
These are laborious undertakings that require substantially more staff (with specialized training, no less) than a dinner-only joint.
—Heather Sperling, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
This low data quality makes normalization and curation for diverse data sources laborious and expensive.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 12 May 2024
In a laborious industry that necessitates odd hours, largely eschews paid parental leave and is still male-dominated at its upper ranks, juggling service and motherhood can wear women out — or give them the tools for a happy family life.
—Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 10 May 2024
Samir Desai, Abercrombie & Fitch’s chief digital officer, said the technology helps speed up a laborious process, given that Abercrombie and its brands can post a couple of hundred new products on its website in a single week.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Those final couple hours in transit, when the effects of jet lag are rearing up and patience is running thin, can be laborious and time-consuming, but are often necessary in order to reach some of the world's most remote destinations.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2024
Middle East experts note that the work became even more laborious after President Donald J. Trump left the White House.
—Kate Kelly, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
While the Extraordinary Visa remains popular, its strict requirements and laborious process also limit who can apply and who is accepted.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
And hiring experts warn that companies using laborious assignments and hardball tactics in recruitment could be counterproductive, by deterring strong candidates and adding new biases to the process.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
Heather Sperling, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
This low data quality makes normalization and curation for diverse data sources laborious and expensive.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 12 May 2024
In a laborious industry that necessitates odd hours, largely eschews paid parental leave and is still male-dominated at its upper ranks, juggling service and motherhood can wear women out — or give them the tools for a happy family life.
—Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 10 May 2024
Samir Desai, Abercrombie & Fitch’s chief digital officer, said the technology helps speed up a laborious process, given that Abercrombie and its brands can post a couple of hundred new products on its website in a single week.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Those final couple hours in transit, when the effects of jet lag are rearing up and patience is running thin, can be laborious and time-consuming, but are often necessary in order to reach some of the world's most remote destinations.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2024
Middle East experts note that the work became even more laborious after President Donald J. Trump left the White House.
—Kate Kelly, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
While the Extraordinary Visa remains popular, its strict requirements and laborious process also limit who can apply and who is accepted.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
And hiring experts warn that companies using laborious assignments and hardball tactics in recruitment could be counterproductive, by deterring strong candidates and adding new biases to the process.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'laborious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near laborious
Cite this Entry
“Laborious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laborious. Accessed 21 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
laborious
adjective
la·bo·ri·ous
lə-ˈbōr-ē-əs
-ˈbȯr-
1
: devoted to work : industrious
2
: requiring hard effort
laboriously
adverb
laboriousness
noun
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