laborious task

[ləˈbɔːriəs tæsk]
noun phrasepl: laborious tasks / tarefas laboriosas
tarefa laboriosa
1. a job or piece of work that requires considerable time, effort, and patience; tedious and demanding work
Organizing the entire warehouse was a laborious task that took weeks to complete.
Organizar todo o armazém foi uma tarefa laboriosa que levou semanas para ser concluída.
2. work that is characterized by or requiring hard work; involving great effort and difficulty
Writing a dissertation is a laborious task for most graduate students.
Escrever uma dissertação é uma tarefa laboriosa para a maioria dos estudantes de pós-graduação.
In both Brazilian and American English contexts, 'laborious task' is used in professional, academic, and formal settings to describe work that demands significant commitment. In Brazil, the term is often used in workplace environments and educational contexts to motivate perseverance. Americans frequently use more colloquial alternatives like 'grind' or 'slog' in casual speech, while 'laborious' remains common in academic and formal writing.
NYC Slang
a grind / a pain in the neck / a slog
Synonyms / Sinônimos
arduous taskdifficult taskstrenuous tasktedious taskdemanding tasktime-consuming task
Antonyms / Antônimos
easy tasksimple taskeffortless taskquick task

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
tarefa laboriosa
most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
trabalho cansativo / tarefa pesada
more colloquial; 'pesada' emphasizes heaviness of burden
São Paulo
tarefa laboriosa / trabalho exaustivo
formal and business contexts
Portugal
tarefa laboriosa / trabalho árduo
'árduo' more commonly used in Portugal

Related Words

hard workgrueling effortpainstaking workburdentoil

Related Idioms & Phrases

a labor of love (when done with dedication despite difficulty)
burning the midnight oil (working hard on a difficult task)
blood, sweat, and tears (significant effort required)
no pain, no gain (difficulty necessary for achievement)
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