Doing arduous or unpleasant work:
— The bent backs of laboring slaves picking cotton.

synonyms: drudging, labouring, toiling.

Roget 686: laboring etc. v.. laborious, operose^†, elaborate; strained; toilsome, troublesome, wearisome; uphill; herculean, gymnastic, palestric^†.    hard-working, painstaking; strenuous, energetic.    hard at work, on the stretch.    ... show more