belabored
Beaten to death
Belabored describes something worked over excessively—a point argued too long, an explanation that won't stop explaining.
A belabored argument beats a dead horse.
Belabored prose strains for effect.
The word implies tedium and diminishing returns: His belabored attempts at humor fell flat.
The verb belabor means to attack repeatedly or dwell on excessively.
Under uncomfortable tension
- forcedMade to occur unwillingly
- contrivedDeliberately manufactured, unnatural
- overdoneExcessive in degree
- heavy-handedClumsy and oppressive
overworked · ponderous · convoluted · tortuous · stilted · awkward · artificial · unnatural
Repeated tiresomely
- dweltLived in a place
- rehashedReused without fresh thought
- reiteratedExpressed again, often emphatically
- repeatedDone or said again
hammered · insisted · persisted · droned · nagged · pressed · emphasized · overemphasized
strained
Under uncomfortable tension
- forcedMade to occur unwillingly
- contrivedDeliberately manufactured, unnatural
- overdoneExcessive in degree
heavy-handed · overworked · ponderous · convoluted · tortuous · stilted · awkward · artificial · unnatural · overemphasized
harped
Repeated tiresomely
- dweltLived in a place
- rehashedReused without fresh thought
- reiteratedExpressed again, often emphatically
repeated · hammered · insisted · persisted · droned · nagged · pressed · emphasized · overemphasized · redundant
struggled
Exerted with difficulty
- toiledExerted oneself strenuously
- strainedUnder uncomfortable tension
- painstakingExtremely careful and thorough
arduous · grueling · strenuous · taxing · toilsome · hard-won · difficult · onerous · demanding
belaboredeffortless
Requiring no strain
natural · spontaneous · fluent · easy · unforced
belaboredignored
Purposely not noticed
glossed over · passed over · neglected · skimmed · brushed aside