laborious

adjective

la·bo·ri·ous lə-ˈbȯr-ē-əs

: 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

Making a telescope mirror is a long and laborious process.

David Devoss and Eric Sander

: 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

: devoted to labor : industrious

We have the greatest riches, the greatest fertility, … the most laborious population.

Joseph Conrad

laboriously adverb

laboriousness noun

Example Sentences

a slow and laborious process the volunteers have been commendably laborious in their cleanup of the beach

Recent Examples on the Web Kashmiri chai, known for its layered spice flavors and signature pink hue, traditionally calls for a time-consuming, laborious process of aeration and cooking.

By Sunset, Sunset Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022 At night, the routine is a tiny bit more laborious — but nowhere near twelve steps.

Megan Decker, refinery29.com, 4 Oct. 2022 In some applications, photography replaced more laborious illustration methods (such as engraving), but human fine art painters are still around today.

Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 31 Aug. 2022 Helping a voucher recipient move into an apartment is a laborious process, Christy Respress, who runs the nonprofit Pathways to Housing, explained.

Julie Zauzmer Weil, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Aug. 2022 Recent victories such as the Staten Island union vote have offered new hope to workers whose workloads have only gotten more laborious in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Oleg Mikhailenko, Forbes, 16 May 2022 Was recreating Gus’ unfinished super lab a more laborious set build than most?

Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2022 To make things more laborious, supply-chain issues are plaguing professional chefs as well as home chefs.

Aviya Kushner, chicagotribune.com, 20 Apr. 2022 The work is technical, laborious and difficult, often performed in the shadow of a company shutdown that could threaten its existence.

James Rundle, WSJ, 5 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'laborious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.