laboured
Heavy and forced
Laboured is the British spelling of labored, the past tense and adjective form of labour.
As an adjective, it describes something that shows obvious effort or strain, lacking ease or naturalness: His laboured breathing worried the nurses.
The essay felt laboured and unconvincing.
A laboured joke or explanation tries too hard and falls flat.
The word suggests visible struggle where smoothness would be expected.
Deliberately manufactured, unnatural
- forcedMade to occur unwillingly
- stiltedUnnaturally formal in expression
- affectedArtificially contrived behavior
- unnaturalContrary to normal order
strained · wooden · overwrought · studied · mannered · pretentious · staged · insincere
Harsh, whistling respiration
- gaspingBreathing in sharp gulps
- pantingRapid labored breathing
- raspingHarsh and grating
- strainedUnder uncomfortable tension
difficult · heavy · shallow · ragged · hoarse · breathless · asthmatic · short
Requiring intense exertion
- arduousDemanding strenuous effort
- taxingRequiring great effort
- demandingRequiring great effort
- toilingWorking strenuously, exhaustingly
grinding · slogging · burdensome · onerous · heavy · hard · tough · grueling
Extremely careful and thorough
- thoroughComplete in every detail
- detailedFull of specifics
- carefulExercising caution and attention
- diligentPersistently attentive to tasks
methodical · conscientious · scrupulous · exacting · precise · assiduous · studious · industrious
contrived
Deliberately manufactured, unnatural
- forcedMade to occur unwillingly
- stiltedUnnaturally formal in expression
- affectedArtificially contrived behavior
unnatural · strained · wooden · overwrought · studied · mannered · pretentious · staged · insincere · phony
wheezing
Harsh, whistling respiration
strained · difficult · heavy · shallow · ragged · hoarse · breathless · asthmatic · short · halting
strenuous
Requiring intense exertion
toiling · grinding · slogging · burdensome · onerous · heavy · hard · tough · grueling · backbreaking
painstaking
Extremely careful and thorough
diligent · methodical · conscientious · scrupulous · exacting · precise · assiduous · studious · industrious · attentive
labouredeffortless
Requiring no strain
easy · unlaboured · facile · unforced · unstrained
- day labourersWorkers hired temporarily
- labour marketsEmployment supply-and-demand systems
- labour painsChildbirth muscle spasms
- labour of loveWork done for joy
- labour unionsWorker advocacy collectives
- hard labourPunitive physical work