SAT Vocabulary: Understanding the Word ‘Laborious’
Learn about the adjective ‘laborious’, its meaning, history, synonyms, and correct usage. This video explains how to use ‘laborious’ properly in sentences and common mistakes to avoid, helping you improve your vocabulary for the SAT.
Imagine spending hours meticulously organizing your entire closet, sorting through every item, folding, and color-coding.
That task would certainly be laborious. Today, we’re exploring the word laborious, a term you might encounter on your SAT.
Word type: Laborious is an adjective.
Meaning: Laborious means requiring a lot of time and effort. It describes tasks or processes that are difficult, time-consuming, and often tedious.
Word history: The word laborious comes from the Latin word laboriosus, which means full of labor. It entered the English language in the late 14th century, derived from the Old French laborios.
Synonyms: Some synonyms for laborious include arduous, strenuous, demanding, grueling, and toilsome.
Antonyms: On the other hand, antonyms for laborious are easy, effortless, simple, and straightforward.
Examples use in sentences: Let’s look at how we can use laborious in context. The scientist’s laborious research took years to complete, but it led to a groundbreaking discovery.
Writing a novel can be a laborious process, requiring countless hours of writing, editing, and rewriting.
The laborious task of transcribing old handwritten documents required patience and attention to detail.
Common errors in use: One common mistake is confusing laborious with labored. While laborious describes something that requires a lot of effort, labored often refers to something done with visible difficulty or lack of ease.
For example, His labored breathing indicated he needed medical attention is correct, but His laborious breathing would be incorrect in this context.
Another error is using laborious for tasks that are merely unpleasant but not necessarily time-consuming or difficult.
For instance, saying Doing the dishes is laborious might be an exaggeration unless you’re washing dishes for a large restaurant.
Understanding and correctly using words like laborious can significantly improve your vocabulary and help you perform better on the SAT.
Remember, laborious tasks require substantial effort and time. By recognizing its proper usage, you’ll be able to describe challenging processes more accurately and expand your language skills.
