travail

1 of 2

noun

tra·vail trə-ˈvāl How to pronounce travail (audio)

ˈtra-ˌvāl

: work especially of a painful or laborious nature : toil

: a physical or mental exertion or piece of work : task, effort

: agony, torment

: labor, childbirth

travail

2 of 2

verb

tra·vail trə-ˈvāl How to pronounce travail (audio)

ˈtra-ˌvāl;

in prayer-book communion service usually ˈtra-ˌvāl

travailed; travailing; travails

intransitive verb

: to labor hard : toil

: labor sense 4

Did you know?

Etymologists are pretty certain that travail comes from trepalium, the Late Latin name of an instrument of torture. We don't know exactly what a trepalium looked like, but the word's history gives us an idea. Trepalium is derived from the Latin tripalis, which means "having three stakes" (from tri-, meaning "three," and palus, meaning "stake"). From trepalium sprang the Anglo-French verb travailler, which originally meant "to torment" but eventually acquired the milder senses "to trouble" and "to journey." The Anglo-French noun travail was borrowed into English in the 13th century, along with another descendant of travailler, travel.

Example Sentences

Noun They finally succeeded after many months of travail. no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child Verb Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Carolyn was able to capture the honor and travail of spending 24/7 with young children so well.

Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 17 May 2022 Cognates are words that are related etymologically, as travail and travel are … at least historically.

James Harbeck, The Week, 23 Feb. 2022 But over time, travel and travail split into two different words.

James Harbeck, The Week, 23 Feb. 2022 Steinbeck follows their trek through the travail and injustice that accompanied every step of their journey.

Steve West, sun-sentinel.com, 3 June 2021 Who will miss the slaughterhouses, with their groan of travail that was never easy to bear in any age?

Matthew Scully, National Review, 17 Jan. 2021 Forty is a biblical number, used as shorthand for a long period of isolation and travail.

Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2020 Douglas and Paula Rigby inevitably find no easy answers to their financial travails and everyday ennui.

oregonlive, 20 Mar. 2020 Luxe Antarctica: Modern-day Antarctic polar explorers don’t have to endure the harrowing travails of British pioneer Ernest Shackleton.

Michael George, National Geographic, 15 Oct. 2019 See More

travails 1 of 2

noun

plural of travail

as in pains

a state of great suffering of body or mind no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

pains
distresses
agonies
miseries
tribulations
anguishes
woes
torments
tortures
straits
sorrows
discomforts
pangs
hardships
afflictions
hurts
dangers
troubles
heartbreaks
racks
heartaches
difficulties
excruciations
trials
aches
emergencies
rigors
crucibles
throes
crosses
asperities
stitches
jeopardies
pinches
twinges

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

consolations
comforts
solaces
alleviations
eases
reliefs
assuagements
securities
peaces
well-beings

as in efforts

very hard or unpleasant work these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain

Synonyms & Similar Words

efforts
toils
labors
pains
struggles
troubles
exertions
fatigues
sweats
drudgeries
responsibilities
grinds
slaveries
drudges
moils
donkeyworks
obligations
duties
jobs
chores
spadeworks
routines
treadmills
tediums

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

plays
fun
dalliances
relaxations
eases
diversions
sports
entertainments
amusements
rests
recreations
reposes
leisures
inertias
decompressions
inactivities
dormancies

as in childbirths

the act or process of giving birth to children a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail

Synonyms & Similar Words

childbirths
pregnancies
pains
deliveries
labors
miscarriages
abortions
accouchements
contractions
childbearings
parturitions
birth pangs
confinements
cesarean sections
natural childbirths
lying-ins
childbeds
caesarean sections
lyings-in

travails

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of travail

as in struggles

to devote serious and sustained effort Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation

Synonyms & Similar Words

struggles
labors
works
toils
endeavors
slaves
tugs
strives
drudges
tries
hustles
bangs away
strains
sweats
plows
humps
grubs
slogs
moils
plods
fags
plugs
attacks
sweats blood
digs (away)
pegs (away)
beavers (away)
essays
exercises
pitches in
knuckles down
scratches
drives
digs in
ekes out
overexerts
exerts
trudges
buckles (down)
wades
overworks
applies (oneself)
hammers (away)
scrabbles
puts out
grinds (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

breaks
eases (up)
slackens
hangs (around or out)
lets up
shirks
dallies
slacks (off)
chills
lazes
bums
goldbricks
goofs (off)
rests
loafs
dillydallies
unwinds
lounges
plays
hacks (around)
reposes
basks
hangs
dabbles
lolls
idles
footles
hangs about
fools around
relaxes
doodles
fribbles
trifles
veges out
messes around
vegges out
goofs (around)
putters (around)
monkeys (around)
potters (around)

单词	travails
释义	travail 1 of 2 noun tra·vail trə-ˈvāl ˈtra-ˌvāl 1 a : work especially of a painful or laborious nature : toil b : a physical or mental exertion or piece of work : task, effort c : agony, torment 2 : labor, childbirth travail 2 of 2 verb tra·vail trə-ˈvāl ˈtra-ˌvāl; in prayer-book communion service usually ˈtra-ˌvāl travailed; travailing; travails intransitive verb 1 : to labor hard : toil 2 : labor sense 4 Did you know? Etymologists are pretty certain that travail comes from trepalium, the Late Latin name of an instrument of torture. We don't know exactly what a trepalium looked like, but the word's history gives us an idea. Trepalium is derived from the Latin tripalis, which means "having three stakes" (from tri-, meaning "three," and palus, meaning "stake"). From trepalium sprang the Anglo-French verb travailler, which originally meant "to torment" but eventually acquired the milder senses "to trouble" and "to journey." The Anglo-French noun travail was borrowed into English in the 13th century, along with another descendant of travailler, travel. Synonyms Noun affliction agony anguish distress excruciation hurt misery pain rack strait(s) torment torture tribulation woe Verb bang away beaver (away) dig (away) drudge endeavor fag grub hump hustle labor moil peg (away) plod plow plug slave slog strain strive struggle sweat toil tug work See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Noun They finally succeeded after many months of travail. no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child Verb Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation. Recent Examples on the Web Noun Carolyn was able to capture the honor and travail of spending 24/7 with young children so well. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 17 May 2022 Cognates are words that are related etymologically, as travail and travel are … at least historically. James Harbeck, The Week, 23 Feb. 2022 But over time, travel and travail split into two different words. James Harbeck, The Week, 23 Feb. 2022 Steinbeck follows their trek through the travail and injustice that accompanied every step of their journey. Steve West, sun-sentinel.com, 3 June 2021 Who will miss the slaughterhouses, with their groan of travail that was never easy to bear in any age? Matthew Scully, National Review, 17 Jan. 2021 Forty is a biblical number, used as shorthand for a long period of isolation and travail. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2020 Douglas and Paula Rigby inevitably find no easy answers to their financial travails and everyday ennui. oregonlive, 20 Mar. 2020 Luxe Antarctica: Modern-day Antarctic polar explorers don’t have to endure the harrowing travails of British pioneer Ernest Shackleton. Michael George, National Geographic, 15 Oct. 2019 See More Word History Etymology Noun Middle English, from Anglo-French, from travailler to torment, labor, journey, from Vulgar Latin trepaliare to torture, from Late Latin trepalium* instrument of torture, from Latin tripalis having three stakes, from tri- + palus stake — more at pole First Known Use Noun 13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb 13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Medical Definition travail noun tra·vail trə-ˈvā(ə)l ˈtrav-ˌāl : labor, childbirth travails 1 of 2 noun plural of travail 1 as in pains a state of great suffering of body or mind no greater travail than that of parents who have suffered the death of a child Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance pains distresses agonies miseries tribulations anguishes woes torments tortures straits sorrows discomforts pangs hardships afflictions hurts dangers troubles heartbreaks racks heartaches difficulties excruciations trials aches emergencies rigors crucibles throes crosses asperities stitches jeopardies pinches twinges Antonyms & Near Antonyms consolations comforts solaces alleviations eases reliefs assuagements securities peaces well-beings See More 2 as in efforts very hard or unpleasant work these villagers now have decent housing, so our travail has not been in vain Synonyms & Similar Words efforts toils labors pains struggles troubles exertions fatigues sweats drudgeries responsibilities grinds slaveries drudges moils donkeyworks obligations duties jobs chores spadeworks routines treadmills tediums Antonyms & Near Antonyms plays fun dalliances relaxations eases diversions sports entertainments amusements rests recreations reposes leisures inertias decompressions inactivities dormancies See More 3 as in childbirths the act or process of giving birth to children a midwife assisted her throughout her long travail Synonyms & Similar Words childbirths pregnancies pains deliveries labors miscarriages abortions accouchements contractions childbearings parturitions birth pangs confinements cesarean sections natural childbirths lying-ins childbeds caesarean sections lyings-in travails 2 of 2 verb present tense third-person singular of travail as in struggles to devote serious and sustained effort Labor Day is the day on which we recognize those men and women who daily travail with little appreciation or compensation Synonyms & Similar Words struggles labors works toils endeavors slaves tugs strives drudges tries hustles bangs away strains sweats plows humps grubs slogs moils plods fags plugs attacks sweats blood digs (away) pegs (away) beavers (away) essays exercises pitches in knuckles down scratches drives digs in ekes out overexerts exerts trudges buckles (down) wades overworks applies (oneself) hammers (away) scrabbles puts out grinds (out) Antonyms & Near Antonyms breaks eases (up) slackens hangs (around or out) lets up shirks dallies slacks (off) chills lazes bums goldbricks goofs (off) rests loafs dillydallies unwinds lounges plays hacks (around) reposes basks hangs dabbles lolls idles footles hangs about fools around relaxes doodles fribbles trifles veges out messes around vegges out goofs (around) putters (around) monkeys (around) potters (around) See More
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travail

noun

verb

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Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

noun

noun

verb