What does laboured mean?
Laboured describes an action or result that involves slow, difficult, deliberate, or strained effort. A speaker may have laboured speech because illness, nervousness, or excessive care makes speaking difficult. A laboured process is one that unfolds slowly and with considerable effort, while laboured breathing suggests physical strain. The word can also be mildly critical, implying that something sounds overworked or unnatural. In British English, laboured is the past tense and past participle of labour, as in “the team laboured to finish the project”; American English generally spells these forms with one final “u,” as “labored.” The adjective is especially common in fixed expressions involving breathing and speech, but it can characterize writing, movement, negotiations, and any demanding process. Its usefulness lies in its ability to distinguish ordinary effort from effort that is visibly difficult, constrained, or slightly awkward.
Characterized by slow, difficult, deliberate, or strained effort.
"The injured hiker had laboured breathing and needed immediate assistance."
Common in expressions describing strained speech or breathing; it can also suggest that something seems overworked or unnatural.
The British past tense and past participle of labour.
"The volunteers laboured through the night to restore the damaged woodland."
Chiefly used in British English; American English normally uses the form labored.
A small spelling change tells you where you are: British English uses “laboured,” while American English uses “labored.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does laboured come from?
The word comes through Middle English from Old French laboure, ultimately from the Latin laborare, meaning “to toil” or “to work at.” The adjective laboured and the verb form developed from the same historical base as labour. Latin laborare also underlies cognates such as laborious, collaborate, elaborate, and laboratory.
Related word forms
How laboured is actually used
As an adjective, laboured often describes breathing, speech, movement, or writing that appears strained or unusually effortful. It can be mildly critical, especially when describing speech or writing as over-considered. As a verb, it is chiefly British; American English normally uses labored.
Easily confused with laboured
Laboured is the standard British spelling, whereas labored is the standard American spelling of the same word.