travail

[ truh-veyl, trav-eyl ]

noun

1. painfully difficult or burdensome work; toil.

   Synonyms: moil, labor

2. pain, anguish or suffering resulting from mental or physical hardship.

   Synonyms: agony, torment

3. the pain of childbirth.

verb (used without object)

1. to suffer the pangs of childbirth; be in labor.
2. to toil or exert oneself.

travail

/ ˈtræveɪl /

noun

1. painful or excessive labour or exertion
2. the pangs of childbirth; labour

verb

1. intr to suffer or labour painfully, esp in childbirth

Word History and Origins

Origin of travail¹

1200–50; (v.) Middle English travaillen < Old French travaillier to torment < Vulgar Latin *trepaliāre to torture, derivative of Late Latin trepālium torture chamber, literally, instrument of torture made with three stakes ( tri-, pale ² ); (noun) Middle English < Old French: suffering, derivative of travailler

Word History and Origins

Origin of travail¹

C13: from Old French travaillier , from Vulgar Latin tripaliāre (unattested) to torture, from Late Latin trepālium instrument of torture, from Latin tripālis having three stakes, from trēs three + pālus stake

Example Sentences

“Pacific Overtures” covers enormous ground, but at the center are two characters whose fates reflect their nation’s travails.

From Los Angeles Times

In Hillbilly Elegy, Vance painted a personal portrait of the trials, travails and bad decisions of family members, neighbours and friends.

From BBC

You'll note that he said he will "protect women at a level never seen before" as if women are abandoned children who are desperate for him to come and rescue them from all their travails.

From Salon

Similar fights over memorials to the comfort women have played out elsewhere — including Southern California — but the dispute has special resonance in Germany, with its own travails in coming to terms with an ugly history.

From Los Angeles Times

At the Economic Club speech last week, he alluded to it again, whining about his legal travails:

From Salon

Related Words

• agony
• anguish
• tribulation
• woe