laborious Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort
    heavy; toilsome; grueling; punishing; operose; backbreaking; hard; arduous; gruelling.
    • worked their arduous way up the mining valley
    • a grueling campaign
    • hard labor
    • heavy work
    • heavy going
    • spent many laborious hours on the project
    • set a punishing pace

WordNet

La*bo"ri*ous adjective
Etymology
L. laboriosus,fr. labor labor: cf. F. laborieux.
Definitions
  1. Requiring labor, perseverance, or sacrifices; toilsome; tiresome.
    Dost thou love watchings, abstinence, or toil, Laborious virtues all ? Learn these from Cato. Addison.
  2. Devoted to labor; diligent; industrious; as, a laborious mechanic. -- La*bo"ri*ous*ly, adv. -- La*bo"ri*ous*ness, n.

Webster 1913