Laborious
/ləˈbɔːr.i.əs/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Laborious means something that takes a lot of work and effort, often because it is difficult or slow. It usually describes tasks or activities that require patience and energy to finish.
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⚡ See It in Action
Requiring a lot of effort and time
- •Writing the report was a laborious process that took many hours.
- •Cleaning the old house was laborious but necessary.
- •The laborious journey through the mountains tired all the hikers.
Slow and difficult because of hard work
- •Learning a new language can be laborious at first.
- •The laborious task of fixing the broken machine required patience.
- •His laborious reading showed how much he wanted to understand the book.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "laborious" like "hard" (A1 word), but with extra meaning that it also takes a long time and can be tiring
- ✓Picture someone slowly carrying heavy boxes up many stairs, sweating and working carefully
- ✓It's the feeling you get when you have to do a long homework assignment that is not easy or quick
- ✓Sounds like "labor" + "-ious" → imagine a "labor" (work) that is serious and needs much energy
- ✓Think of a farmer doing hard work all day in the field, slowly and carefully planting seeds
- ✓NOT like "easy" (quick and simple), laborious means the opposite: slow and hard work
- ✓NOT like "fast" or "quick" — laborious tasks take time and effort, not speed
- ✓NOT like "fun" or "simple" — laborious work is often tiring and requires focus
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Arduous: very difficult and tiring (Use when you want to emphasize how hard and tiring the task is)
- •Difficult: not easy to do (Use for general problems or challenges without focusing on time or effort)
- •Time-consuming: takes a lot of time (Use when the main problem is the long time needed, not just effort)
- •Strenuous: needing great effort and energy (Use when physical or mental energy is strongly needed)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Prefix/root/suffix: "labor" (work) + suffix "-ious" (having the quality of)
- •Etymology: From Latin "laboriosus," meaning full of work or toil
- •Historical development: Used since the 1600s to describe tasks needing much effort
- •Modern usage: Describes tasks or activities that are hard, slow, and require much effort, often in work or study
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can a laborious task ever feel rewarding? Why or why not?
•How do you handle laborious work when you feel tired or bored?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The project was laborious because it required ___ attention to detail and ___ time to finish.
2.She found the laborious task of cleaning the attic ___ but necessary to organize her home.
3.Unlike quick jobs, laborious work usually needs ___ effort and patience.
4.When the teacher assigned a laborious essay, many students felt ___ about the long hours needed.
5.Laborious activities often ___ both physical and mental energy from a person.
6.The laborious process of learning a language can ___ your confidence if you keep practicing.
7.He avoided laborious tasks because they made him feel ___ and tired.