SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
belabor
verb
To discuss or emphasize a point excessively.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Discuss excessively
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topHarp on and beat to death are informal and critical; belabor often concerns an already clear point.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See belabor in use
There is no need to belabor an objection everyone already understands.
The rhetorical force of a student campaign speech came from a clear contrast between the broken bike racks and the simple repairs being proposed. The speaker did not want to belabor the damage after showing photographs that already established it.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license