n.

1. Work, especially when arduous or involving painful effort; toil. See synonyms at work.
2. Tribulation or agony; anguish.
3. The labor of childbirth.

intr.v., -vailed, -vail·ing, -vails.

1. To work strenuously; toil.
2. To be in the labor of childbirth.

[Middle English, from Old French, from travailler, to work hard, from Vulgar Latin *tripāliāre, to torture with a tripalium, from Late Latin tripālium, instrument of torture, probably from Latin tripālis, having three stakes : tri-, tri- + pālus, stake.]

noun

1. Physical exertion that is usually difficult and exhausting: drudgery, labor, moil, toil, work. Informal sweat. Chiefly British fag. Idioms: sweat of one's brow. See work/play.
2. The act or process of bringing forth young: accouchement, birth, birthing, childbearing, childbirth, delivery, labor, lying-in, parturition. See start/end.

verb

To exert one's mental or physical powers, usually under difficulty and to the point of exhaustion: drive, fag, labor, moil, strain¹, strive, sweat, toil, tug, work. Idioms: break one'sbackneck. See work/play.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of labor to the birth of a child
  Synonyms: parturiency, labor, labour, confinement, lying-in, childbed

Meaning #2: use of physical or mental energy; hard work
  Synonyms: effort, elbow grease, exertion, sweat

---

The verb travail has one meaning:

Meaning #1: work hard
  Synonyms: labor, labour, toil, fag, grind, drudge, dig, moil

---

Dansk (Danish)
n. - slid og slæb, fødselsveer
v. intr. - slide og slæbe, ligge i fødselsveer

Nederlands (Dutch)
(zware) arbeid (verrichten), (in) barensnood (verkeren)

Français (French)
n. - labeur (arch), douleurs de l'enfantement
v. intr. - travailler dur, peiner, être en couches

Deutsch (German)
n. - schwere Arbeit, Pein, Geburtswehen
v. - schwer arbeiten, in den Geburtswehen liegen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - μόχθος, ωδίνες τοκετού
v. - κοιλοπονώ, (μτφ.) μοχθώ, πασχίζω

Italiano (Italian)
travaglio, affaticarsi

Português (Portuguese)
n. - trabalho de parto (m), dores de parto (m pl)
v. - entrar em trabalho de parto, trabalhar arduamente

Русский (Russian)
родовые муки, острая боль, тяжелая работа, мучиться в родах, тяжело работать

Español (Spanish)
n. - dolores de parto, trabajo duro, tormento
v. intr. - estar de parto, afanarse, trabajar mucho, sufrir, padecer

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - slit och släp, möda, lidande, födslovånda
v. - slita och släpa, vara i barnsnöd

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
分娩的痛苦, 辛劳, 阵痛, 发生阵痛

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 分娩的痛苦, 辛勞, 陣痛
v. intr. - 發生陣痛, 辛勞

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 산고, 진통, 노고
v. intr. - 진통하다, 수고하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 産気づいている, 営々と仕事に励む
n. - 陣痛, 苦しみ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) عذاب, مهمه, عمل (فعل) يعمل, يكدح‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מאמץ מכאיב, צירי-לידה‬
v. intr. - ‮סבל(ה) יסורים, בעיקר בלידה‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.

travail