belabor
UK[bɪˈleɪbə]US[bɪˈleɪbər]
v
To explain or discuss something in too much detail.
v
To attack or criticize someone verbally.
v
To hit someone or something repeatedly.
Morpheme Breakdown
be
labor
be
thoroughly
labor
Etymology
The verb 'belabor' is built upon the Latin noun 'labor', meaning work or toil, which entered English via Old French. The intensive prefix 'be-', of Germanic origin, was attached to this borrowed root in Middle English. The original, now archaic, sense was "to exert one's strength upon," implying strenuous physical effort, such as beating. Over time, the meaning extended metaphorically from physical pounding to the verbal realm, capturing the idea of working a point or a person over with excessive thoroughness through detailed argument or harsh criticism.
Analysis
Structure: be + labor
- be- (Old English): A prefix with a wide range of functions, here used as an intensifier meaning "thoroughly" or "excessively".
- labor (Latin): Meaning "toil, work, exertion".
Examples
There's no need to belabor the point; we all understand the basic issue.
The senator used the debate to belabor his opponent's past mistakes.
In the old fable, the farmer would belabor the stubborn mule to make it move.