labour
gb/lˈeɪbɚ/ us/lˈeɪbɚ/
A2
English
~ 900
kemény munka, erőfeszítés, munka, vajúdás, szülés, munkaerő, keményen dolgozik, fáradozik, Munkáspárt, munkásmozgalom
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] does labour
The construction of the bridge required months of hard labour.
A híd megépítése hónapokig tartó kemény munkát igényelt.
Farmers often rely on seasonal labour to harvest crops.
A gazdák a termény betakarításához gyakran idénymunkát vesznek igénybe.
The project involved both skilled and unskilled labour.
Cheap labour can be found in some developing countries.
He was sentenced to five years of hard labour.
Learner examples
Building the house took a lot of labour.
A ház felépítése sok munkát igényelt.
Farm work is hard labour.
A mezőgazdasági munka kemény fizikai munka.
The company needs more labour for the project.
She does manual labour every day.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'labour' with 'laboratory' because of similar spelling; they are unrelated in meaning.
Meaning
Work, especially hard work
Collocations
manual labour
|hard labour
|skilled labour
|cheap labour
|labour force
|labour market
Synonyms
work (The most general term; 'labour' often emphasizes effort or physicality.)
|
toil (Implies continuous hard work, often with difficulty.)
Antonyms
rest (The opposite state of taking a break from work or effort.)
Themes
work
|economy
|daily life
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Work that needs a lot of effort, especially physical work.
Physical or mental effort done to achieve a result, especially work that is hard or tiring.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is in labour
She went into labour early in the morning.
Kora reggel megindult nála a szülés.
The nurse stayed with her throughout her labour.
A nővér végig mellette maradt a vajúdás alatt.
Labour can last for many hours.
The doctor monitored the progress of her labour carefully.
Learner examples
She is in labour now.
Most vajúdik.
The woman went into labour at night.
A nőnél éjszaka indult meg a szülés.
Her labour lasted six hours.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'labour' in this sense with 'labour' meaning work; context about pregnancy and birth clarifies the meaning.
Meaning
Process of giving birth
Collocations
go into labour
|in labour
|labour pains
|prolonged labour
Synonyms
childbirth (General term for the act of having a baby; 'labour' refers specifically to the process leading up to and including delivery.)
Antonyms
pregnancy (The state before the process of giving birth begins.)
Themes
health
|family
|body
Definition
The process when a baby comes out of its mother.
The process in which a woman gives birth to a baby, involving contractions and delivery.
NOUN
B1
3
munkaerő
B2
Usage pattern:
[company/country] has [amount/type] of labour
The factory depends on skilled labour from abroad.
A gyár külföldről érkező szakképzett munkaerőre támaszkodik.
There is a shortage of labour in the agricultural sector.
Munkaerőhiány van a mezőgazdasági ágazatban.
Labour costs have risen sharply this year.
Learner examples
The company needs more skilled labour.
A vállalatnak több szakképzett munkaerőre van szüksége.
Labour is expensive in this country.
Ebben az országban drága a munkaerő.
The farm has a shortage of labour.
Meaning
Workers as a group
Collocations
skilled labour
|unskilled labour
|labour shortage
|labour costs
Synonyms
workforce (Neutral term for all workers; 'labour' is often used in economic or political contexts.)
Antonyms
management (Refers to those who control or direct workers rather than the workers themselves.)
Themes
work
|economy
|business
Definition
All the people who work in a country or company.
People who work, especially those doing physical work, considered collectively as part of an economy or organization.
VERB
B2
4
fáradozik
B2
Usage pattern:
to labour [doing something]
They laboured over the report for weeks.
Heteken át fáradoztak a jelentésen.
Workers laboured in the hot sun all day.
A munkások egész nap keményen dolgoztak a tűző napon.
She laboured to finish her degree while raising two children.
Learner examples
He laboured in the garden all day.
Egész nap keményen dolgozott a kertben.
They laboured over the homework for hours.
Órákon át fáradoztak a házi feladaton.
She laboured to carry the heavy box.
Meaning
To work hard at something
Collocations
labour over details
|labour in the fields
Synonyms
toil (Emphasizes continuous, exhausting work.)
|
struggle (Focuses more on difficulty than on physical effort.)
Antonyms
rest (To stop working and relax.)
Themes
work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To work very hard for a long time.
To make a great effort to do something, especially physical work, often for a long time or with difficulty.
NOUN
B2
5
Munkáspárt
B1
The Labour Party won the election by a large margin.
A Munkáspárt nagy fölénnyel megnyerte a választást.
Labour has promised to increase funding for public services.
A Munkáspárt ígéretet tett arra, hogy növeli a közszolgáltatások finanszírozását.
He has been a member of Labour for over twenty years.
Learner examples
Labour won many seats in the election.
A Munkáspárt sok mandátumot szerzett a választáson.
She supports Labour policies.
Támogatja a Munkáspárt politikáját.
Labour wants to help workers.
Meaning
Workers' political movement or party
Collocations
Labour Party
Synonyms
socialism (A broader political ideology; 'Labour' refers to specific parties or movements within that spectrum.)
Antonyms
conservatism (A political ideology generally opposing many Labour policies.)
Themes
politics
|law
Definition
A political group that wants to help workers and supports left-wing ideas.
A political movement or party that represents the interests of workers, especially manual workers, often associated with left-wing policies.
Grammar
Dictionary form
labour
IPA
GB/lˈeɪbɚ/
US/lˈeɪbɚ/
Syllables & stress
la - bour (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (la)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: labour
- Variant Spelling: labor
- Plural: labour, labours
Verb
- Base: labour
- Variant Spelling: labor
- 3rd Person Singular: labours
- Present Participle: labouring
- Past: laboured
Word family
Forms
Core family
labourer
noun B1
Related words
laborer
noun B1
Advanced or less common
laborious
adjective B2
laboriously
adverb
Highlights
- Spelling Variant: labor Verb
- Spelling Variant: labor Noun
Expressions
go into labour
1/ɡˈoʊ ˈɪntu lˈeɪbɚ/
fixed phrase
Start giving birth
When a woman starts having contractions and the baby is coming.
Examples
- She went into labour two weeks early.
- Call the doctor—she's going into labour now.
hard labour
1/hˈɑɹd lˈeɪbɚ/
fixed phrase
Very hard physical work
Work that needs a lot of strength and energy, sometimes given as punishment in prison.
Examples
- Prisoners were sentenced to ten years of hard labour.
- Farmers face months of hard labour during harvest season.
in labour
1/ˈɪn lˈeɪbɚ/
fixed phrase
Experiencing childbirth contractions
When a woman is having contractions before giving birth.
Examples
- She has been in labour for six hours.
- When I arrived, she was already in labour.
labour of love
1/lˈeɪbɚ əv lˈʌv/
idiom
Work done for pleasure not pay
Work someone does because they enjoy it, not because they get paid.
Examples
- Restoring the old house was a real labour of love for them.
- Writing the book was a labour of love.
manual labour
1/mˈænjuəl lˈeɪbɚ/
fixed phrase
Physical work by hand
Work that needs using your hands and body instead of machines or computers.
Examples
- The job involves a lot of manual labour.
- Manual labour is still common in some industries.