Belabour: meaning, definitions and examples
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belabour
[ bɪˈleɪbər ]
discuss thoroughly
To belabour something means to explain or discuss it in excessive detail or for an unnecessarily long time. This term can imply that the speaker is being repetitive and ineffective in their communication. Often, it suggests that the original point has already been made convincingly, and further exposition is neither needed nor helpful.
Synonyms
drone on, elaborate, harp on, overemphasize, repeat.
Examples of usage
- He tends to belabour his main arguments during meetings.
- Stop belabouring the point; we understand your perspective.
- In her lecture, she belaboured the differences between the two theories.
Translations
Translations of the word "belabour" in other languages:
🇵🇹 torrar
🇮🇳 कड़ी मेहनत करना
🇩🇪 überbeanspruchen
🇮🇩 memperberat
🇺🇦 перевантажувати
🇵🇱 przemęczać
🇯🇵 過度に働かせる
🇫🇷 épuiser
🇪🇸 agobiar
🇹🇷 aşırı yormak
🇰🇷 과도하게 일하다
🇸🇦 إرهاق
🇨🇿 přetěžovat
🇸🇰 preťažovať
🇨🇳 过度劳累
🇸🇮 preobremeniti
🇮🇸 ofmeta
🇰🇿 артық жүктеу
🇬🇪 მომჭიდროება
🇦🇿 çox yükləmək
🇲🇽 agobiar
Etymology
The word 'belabour' originates from the combination of the prefix 'be-' and the word 'labour'. The prefix 'be-' typically intensifies the meaning of the verb to which it is attached. In this case, 'labour' comes from the Old French 'laborer', which means 'to work', and has roots traced back to Latin 'labor', meaning 'work, toil, or effort'. The phrase began to take on the connotation of excessive effort or laboriousness in discussions around the late 19th century. It is often used in contexts where redundancy and unnecessary detail in communication are critiqued, especially in debates, academic discussions, or presentations. Thus, 'belabour' emphasizes not just the action of discussing laboriously, but also the annoyance that comes with it.