belabor

[/bɪˈleɪbər/]
verb
trabalhar excessivamente; insistir demais; bater repetidamente
1. to work on or at excessively; to dwell on tediously
Don't belabor the point; we already understand your argument.
Não insista tanto no ponto; já entendemos seu argumento.
2. to attack or criticize repeatedly and at length
The critics belabored the actor's poor performance in reviews.
Os críticos criticaram repetidamente a má atuação do ator nas resenhas.
3. to beat or strike repeatedly and forcefully
He belabored the door with his fists until someone opened it.
Ele bateu repetidamente na porta com os punhos até alguém abri-la.
In American English, 'belabor the point' is a common idiomatic phrase meaning to overly emphasize or repeat something unnecessarily. It's frequently used in professional and academic contexts to politely suggest someone is being redundant. In Brazilian Portuguese, 'insistir demais' or 'prolongar desnecessariamente' convey similar meanings, though the exact expression is less crystallized in idioms.
NYC Slang
beat a dead horse; belabor the point like a broken record
Synonyms / Sinônimos
overemphasizebelabour (British spelling)dwell onharp onlaborelaborate excessivelyhammer away atbeat upon
Antonyms / Antônimos
simplifyabbreviatesummarizeconcisedismiss

Regional Variations

General Brazilian Portuguese
insistir demais; trabalhar excessivamente; bater repetidamente
Standard usage across Brazil
Portugal
belabourar (archaic); insistir demasiadamente
Less common in modern Portuguese; prefer 'insistir demais' or 'elaborar excessivamente'
General American English
belabor
Common in formal and written English
British English
belabour
Alternative spelling preferred in UK

Related Words

laborlaboriouselaborateemphasisredundantrepetitivetedious

Related Idioms & Phrases

belabor the point
belabor a dead horse (persist with something exhausted or futile)
belabor the obvious (overemphasize something already clear)
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