belabor
verb
be·la·bor bi-ˈlā-bər 
bē-
belabored; belaboring; belabors
transitive verb
1
a
: to attack verbally
If I had been ill-natured, I should have shown up the little great man, who had once belabored me in his feeble way.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Oliver Wendell Holmes b
: to beat soundly
… ancient battles in which the combatants belabored one another with swords, staffs, cudgels, halberds and other heavy-duty weapons until the blood flowed … James Rogers
James Rogers2
: to explain or insist on excessively
her habit of belaboring the obvious
He needlessly belabored the point.
Synonyms
- dwell (on or upon)
- harp (on)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Her habit of belaboring the obvious makes her a very boring speaker. Please don't belabor the point. He uses his newspaper column to belabor writers for even the most minor grammatical errors.
Recent Examples on the Web Leiby does not belabor her own privilege, and her story gains power from that choice. New York Times, 27 June 2022 No need to belabor the record with my objections to its one-sided composition and lack of cross-examination. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 18 June 2022 Almodóvar doesn’t belabor the reference or its tragic significance; a viewer could easily miss it, which strikes me as part of his point. Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2021 There’s heavy material here, but ‘Passing’ doesn’t belabor its points. Mark Olsen Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2021 To belabor the point: U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh was in Cleveland on Monday promoting Democratic President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. cleveland, 26 Oct. 2021 Not to belabor the movie-industry metaphor, but Korea had a Marvel Cinematic Universe problem long before Hollywood was overrun by superhero sequels. William Pesek, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2021 To belabor a recent theme of this space as well as the obvious, pragmatists have the stronger political argument in the national context. John Brummett, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2021 There’s no easy way into this conversation, and Mira does admirably not to belabor it. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2021 See More
New York Times, 27 June 2022 No need to belabor the record with my objections to its one-sided composition and lack of cross-examination. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 18 June 2022 Almodóvar doesn’t belabor the reference or its tragic significance; a viewer could easily miss it, which strikes me as part of his point. Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2021 There’s heavy material here, but ‘Passing’ doesn’t belabor its points. Mark Olsen Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2021 To belabor the point: U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh was in Cleveland on Monday promoting Democratic President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. cleveland, 26 Oct. 2021 Not to belabor the movie-industry metaphor, but Korea had a Marvel Cinematic Universe problem long before Hollywood was overrun by superhero sequels. William Pesek, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2021 To belabor a recent theme of this space as well as the obvious, pragmatists have the stronger political argument in the national context. John Brummett, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2021 There’s no easy way into this conversation, and Mira does admirably not to belabor it. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing belabor
Kids Definition
belabor
verb
be·la·bor bi-ˈlā-bər
belabored; belaboring
: to keep explaining or insisting on to excess
belabor an argument
belabors
verb
1
as in emphasizes
to speak or write about insistently and usually tiresomely stop belaboring the fact that they're already in debt Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- emphasizes
- stresses
- underlines
- underscores
- accents
- harps (on)
- accentuates
- dwells (on or upon)
- pays (up)
- points (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ignores
- disregards
- forgets
- overlooks
- slights
- slurs (over)
- passes over
- overpasses
2
as in attacks
to criticize harshly and usually publicly there's no need to belabor other people's flaws when you're hardly perfect yourself Synonyms & Similar Words
- attacks
- scolds
- slams
- abuses
- excoriates
- criticizes
- insults
- assails
- savages
- potshots
- blasts
- lambastes
- castigates
- lambasts
- harangues
- reviles
- ties into
- vituperates
- bashes
- trashes
- curses
- sails into
- berates
- lights into
- scathes
- harasses
- disparages
- harries
- belittles
- reprimands
- blasphemes
- jumps (on)
- chides
- fulminates
- affronts
- beats up on
- slurs
- libels
- profanes
- slanders
- vilifies
- blackguards
- whips
- execrates
- chastises
- rebukes
- traduces
- bad-mouths
- asperses
- imprecates
- puts down
- lashes (out)
- laces (into)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- commends
- praises
- hails
- lauds
- acclaims
- compliments
3
as in licks
to strike repeatedly with a whip he belabored a horse almost to the point of death Synonyms & Similar Words
- licks
- hides
- lashes
- pounds
- does
- whips
- beats
- pelts
- slaps
- attacks
- thumps
- assaults
- hits
- slams
- batters
- knocks
- punches
- smacks
- spanks
- lambastes
- bludgeons
- mauls
- pummels
- lathers
- smashes
- bashes
- bats
- threshes
- chops
- thrashes
- slogs
- punches out
- bastes
- swipes
- wallops
- lambasts
- fibs
- hammers
- whacks
- flogs
- buffets
- raids
- whales
- switches
- pommels
- tans
- whaps
- belts
- works over
- drubs
- paddles
- wounds
- laces
- slates
- storms
- boxes
- tromps
- birches
- assails
- whups
- curries
- clubs
- rushes
- swats
- whops
- roughs (up)
- thwacks
- whams
- bungs up
- besets
- lacerates
- cudgels
- pastes
- beats up on
- clouts
- cracks
- lams
- whomps
- mangles
- flagellates
- clobbers
- cuffs
- maims
- straps
- socks
- lays on
- mutilates
- scourges
- gores
- messes (up)
- busts
- blackjacks
- canes
- descends (on or upon)
- leathers
- horsewhips
- cowhides
- jumps (on)
- rawhides
- fustigates
- pistol-whips
- pounces (on or upon)
