laboured

laboured
[[t]le͟ɪbə(r)d[/t]]
1) ADJ-GRADED If someone's breathing is laboured, it is slow and seems to take a lot of effort.

From his slow walk and laboured breathing, Ginny realized he was far from well.

2) ADJ-GRADED If something such as someone's writing or speech is laboured, they have put too much effort into it so it seems awkward and unnatural.

The prose of his official communications was so laboured, pompous and verbose...

Daniel's few encounters with Gold had been characterized by a laboured politeness.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • laboured — adj. 1. same as {labored}; British spelling [Chiefly British] Syn: graceless, labored, strained. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • laboured — (US labored) ► ADJECTIVE 1) done with great difficulty. 2) not spontaneous or fluent …   English terms dictionary

  • laboured — la|boured BrE labored AmE [ˈleıbəd US bərd] adj 1.) if someone s breathing is laboured, it is difficult for them to breathe 2.) if writing or speaking is laboured, it takes a lot of effort and is not good ▪ Some of the episodes are very laboured …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • laboured — adjective 1) laboured breathing Syn: strained, difficult, forced, laborious 2) a rather laboured joke Syn: contrived, strained, forced, unconvincing, unnatural, artificial, overdone …   Synonyms and antonyms dictionary

  • laboured — UK [ˈleɪbə(r)d] / US [ˈleɪbərd] adjective 1) speaking, writing, or performing in a way that is not natural or interesting because it seems as though you are making too much effort A lot of the jokes were rather laboured, I thought. 2) if someone… …   English dictionary

  • laboured — [ˈleɪbəd] adj 1) if someone s breathing is laboured, they are breathing with difficulty 2) not natural because of being done with too much effort laboured jokes[/ex] …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

  • laboured — adjective a) Of an action that is difficult to perform. At the end of the marathon, her laboured breathing told us she was exhausted. b) Of writing or speech or similar, stilted or not natural due to too much effort being used in the production …   Wiktionary

  • laboured — adj. Laboured/labored is used with these nouns: ↑breathing …   Collocations dictionary

  • laboured — BrE labored AmE adjective showing signs of effort and difficulty: laboured breathing …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • laboured — la·boured || leɪbÉ™(r)d adj. done with difficulty, heavy (as of breathing); forced, constrained; artificial, unnatural la·bour || leɪbÉ™(r) n. work, toil; craft; entire body of workers; status of workers; work force; contractions of… …   English contemporary dictionary

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