belabor: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1formal, literary, critical
Quick answer
What does “belabor” mean?
to argue or discuss something in excessive detail, or to attack someone physically or verbally.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to argue or discuss something in excessive detail, or to attack someone physically or verbally
To dwell on a point or subject with excessive persistence; to overexplain; to beat or strike repeatedly (literal or figurative)
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: UK prefers 'belabour', US prefers 'belabor'. The meaning and usage are identical.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more common in American English in critical/academic contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “belabor” in a Sentence
belabor [object]belabor [object] with [instrument/argument]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “belabor” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The speaker belaboured the point until the audience grew restless.
- He belaboured his opponent with a barrage of historical references.
American English
- The critic belabored the film's minor flaws in her review.
- Let's not belabor the scheduling issues; we have a solution.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverb form in use.
American English
- No standard adverb form in use.
adjective
British English
- No standard adjective form in use.
American English
- No standard adjective form in use.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in reports or meetings to critique repetitive discussion: 'We need not belabor the quarterly losses; let's focus on solutions.'
Academic
Common in literary criticism or rhetorical analysis: 'The author belabors the symbolism of the rose for three full pages.'
Everyday
Rare in casual speech; might be used humorously: 'Okay, okay, don't belabor it—I get the message!'
Technical
Not typical in STEM fields; more common in humanities, law, or editorial contexts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “belabor”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “belabor”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “belabor”
- Using it to mean 'to work hard' (confusion with 'labor').
- Misspelling as 'belabour' in US contexts or 'belabor' in UK contexts.
- Using it in positive contexts (e.g., 'He belabored the benefits' sounds odd).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's a mid-frequency word (C1 level) used mostly in formal, academic, or critical writing and speech.
Rarely. It almost always carries a negative connotation of being tedious, excessive, or unnecessarily repetitive.
'Emphasize' is neutral—to give importance. 'Belabor' means to over-emphasize to the point of annoyance or redundancy.
Very rarely, and mostly in literary or historical contexts. The figurative sense is dominant in modern English.
to argue or discuss something in excessive detail, or to attack someone physically or verbally.
Belabor is usually formal, literary, critical in register.
Belabor: in British English it is pronounced /bɪˈleɪ.bər/, and in American English it is pronounced /bɪˈleɪ.bɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “belabor the point”
- “belabor the obvious”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'BEating a LABOR point' – you're beating a point about work (or any topic) to death.
Conceptual Metaphor
ARGUMENT IS PHYSICAL ASSAULT (to belabor a point = to beat it repeatedly)
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'belabor' correctly?