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belabor

Belabor means to go at something with everything you've got. When you say, "Don't belabor or agonize over the decision," it means, "Move on."

Belabor is made up of the Latin roots be and labor meaning "to exert one's strength upon." You can belabor a point by using excessive detail, or you could belabor the obvious by stating over and over what everyone already knows. Belaboring can be a physical attack as well. A person can belabor or beat the living daylights out of you with a club.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: belabor

1
v
beat soundly
2
v
to work at or to absurd length
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: belabor
1

v beat soundly

Synonyms:
belabour
Type of:
beat, beat up, work over
give a beating to; subject to a beating, either as a punishment or as an act of aggression

v attack verbally with harsh criticism

“She was belabored by her fellow students”
Synonyms:
belabour
Type of:
criticise, criticize, knock, pick apart
find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws
2

v to work at or to absurd length

belabor the obvious”
Synonyms:
belabour
Type of:
work at, work on
to exert effort in order to do, make, or perform something
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