Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To labour about; labour over; work hard upon; ply diligently.
  • verb UK, transitive To beat soundly; thump; beat someone.
  • verb UK, transitive To attack someone verbally.
  • verb UK, transitive To discuss something repeatedly; to harp on.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb attack verbally with harsh criticism
  • verb beat soundly
  • verb to work at or to absurd length

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From be- (“about, around”) +‎ labour. Compare bework.

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Examples

  • Addison's shock at receiving praise is convincing, almost as though – after five years in The Thick Of It – he'd been expecting Malcolm Tucker to belabour him with rococo abuse for being too honest.

    The Hard Sell: Direct Line 2011

  • But since I have touched upon this in recent days, I won't belabour that point further.

    Another Sanctuary Revision 2009

  • * Perhaps a bit obviously, but the film does not belabour the point; rather, it brings up the matter once, and then lets the story play out the implications and consequences.

    Will You Go See Avatar? 2009

  • They scratch, they taunt, they boast and belabour.

    Colin Myler heads to New York for the clash of the newspaper dinosaurs 2012

  • It may well become a cult favourite, like Natali's Cube – it doesn't take the issues of science ethics overly seriously, and it certainly doesn't belabour its audience with anything as sanctimonious as a moral, although if it did, this might usefully read: don't for heaven's sake have sex with a biotech demi-human crossbreed, it's a very bad idea!

    Splice 2010

  • Why must we belabour the point as though the feelings of the victim are inconsequential.

    Archive 2009-01-01 Renee 2009

  • I see that Neo has lumbered in with a clunking attempt at humour in the guise of one of his many anonymous sockpuppets, reminding us all again how painfully unfunny most conservatives are because of their compulsive need to belabour things to death.

    Move Over Canadian Cynic, We Have A New Biggest Fan « Unambiguously Ambidextrous 2007

  • Why must we belabour the point as though the feelings of the victim are inconsequential.

    Pulling The Race Card Renee 2009

  • I have already discussed what's up your fundament, so I won't belabour it further and ask which particular bug it is, but I can guess.

    On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2009

  • Not to belabour the case against software patents, but as a newly converted follower of the Cult of Mac I found this one quite interesting.

    Archive 2009-01-01 Andres Guadamuz 2009

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