Meaning & use
belabor
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Meanings
verbtransitivedisapproving
To keep explaining or arguing a point long after it is clear, so that listeners grow tired.
Grammar: Takes an object, usually point or issue; British spelling is belabour.
Patterns
- belabor a point
- belabor the obvious
I won't belabor the point, since you all understand the schedule.
The speaker belabored the same joke for ten minutes.
Reviewers complained that the film belabors its message.
verbtransitiveliteraryrare
To attack or beat someone or something forcefully, now a literary use.
Grammar: Rare and literary; takes a person or thing as the object.
Patterns
- belabor someone with something
In the old tale, the guards belabored the thief with sticks.
The storm belabored the coast all night.
The critic belabored the novel with harsh comments.
Word forms
| third person singular | belabors |
|---|---|
| past tense | belabored |
| past participle | belabored |
| -ing form | belaboring |
Common combinations
- belabor the point
- I don't want to belabor the point, but the deadline is Friday.
- belabor the obvious
- The article belabors the obvious for pages.
- belabor an issue
- They belabored the issue until everyone left.
- belabor the details
- There's no need to belabor the details in the summary.
Synonyms and how they differ
- harp on
- Harp on suggests keeping returning to a topic in an annoying way, rather than explaining too long.
- dwell on
- Dwell on is milder and can be neutral or sympathetic.
- overdo
- Overdo is broader and covers any excess, while belabor concerns explanation or argument.
- hammer home
- Hammer home is often positive, stressing a point on purpose to make it stick.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: belabor or elaborate?
belabor vs elaborate
To elaborate is to add useful detail, whereas to belabor is to add too much.
Practice
The presenter ___ the same statistic through the whole talk, and the audience stopped listening.
Choose one answer.
Belabored means repeated at tedious length. Elaborated adds useful detail and would not irritate listeners.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “belabor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.