# laboring

/ˈɫeɪbɝɪŋ/ (US) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/laboring
Updated: 2026-10-19

## Definition

to work very hard, often on something difficult or slow. You use it when someone keeps trying despite problems.

For teachers: present participle of 'labor'; describes working with sustained physical or mental effort, often under difficult conditions.

## Examples

- She is laboring over her homework late at night.
- The team is laboring to finish the new bridge before the rainy season starts.
- For months he kept laboring through drafts that never satisfied him, convinced that steady effort would finally shape the novel into something worth publishing.

## Usage notes

- American spelling is 'laboring'; British spelling is 'labouring'. Often followed by 'over' or 'under'.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.