Standard Lemma guide

belabour

verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /bɪˈleɪ.bə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪbə(ɹ)

1

verb

Meaning 1

To labour about; labour over; to work hard upon; to ply diligently.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To beat or thump (someone) soundly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, transitive

Examples

  • 1856: Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part III Chapter X, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling He saw the village; he was seen coming bending forward upon his horse, belabouring it with great blows, the girths dripping with blood.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: buffet, thrash

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To attack (someone) verbally.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To discuss or explain (something) excessively or repeatedly; to harp on or overelaborate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, transitive

Examples

  • 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, inaugural speech Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belabouring those problems which divide us.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

attack verbally with harsh criticism

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She was belabored by her fellow students

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: belabor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: knock, criticize, criticise, pick apart

6

verb

Meaning 6

beat soundly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: belabor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beat, beat up, work over

7

verb

Meaning 7

to work at or to absurd length

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • belabor the obvious

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: belabor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: work at, work on

History

Etymology

From be- (“on, upon, about, over”) + labour. Compare bework, betoil, beswink.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: обиждам (obiždam) — to attack someone verbally
  • Dutch: berispen — to attack someone verbally
  • Finnish: haukkua — to attack someone verbally
  • Spanish: vituperar — to attack someone verbally
  • Bulgarian: удрям силно — to beat someone
  • Bulgarian: налагам (nalagam) — to beat someone
  • Dutch: slaan — to beat someone
  • Finnish: piestä — to beat someone
  • Māori: tuangau — to beat someone
  • Norwegian Bokmål: slå løs på — to beat someone
  • Spanish: labrar — to harp on or overelaborate
  • Spanish: laborear — to harp on or overelaborate
  • Spanish: repetir — to harp on or overelaborate
  • Spanish: extenderse — to harp on or overelaborate
  • Spanish: insistir — to harp on or overelaborate