What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Travail vs Lassitude - What's the difference?

travail | lassitude |

As nouns the difference between travail and lassitude

is that travail is (archaic) arduous or painful exertion; excessive labor, suffering, hardship while lassitude is lethargy or lack of energy; fatigue.

As a verb travail

is to toil.

travail

English

Noun

(en-noun)
  • (archaic) Arduous or painful exertion; excessive labor, suffering, hardship.
  • * Hooker
  • As everything of price, so this doth require travail .
  • *, II.20:
  • *:Travell and pleasure, most unlike in nature, are notwithstanding followed together by a kind of I wot not what natural conjunction.
  • * 1936 , (Djuna Barnes), Nightwood , Faber & Faber 2007, p. 38:
  • He had thought of making a destiny for himself, through laborious and untiring travail .
  • Specifically, the labor of childbirth.
  • (obsolete, countable) An act of working; labor (US), labour (British).
  • (obsolete) The eclipse of a celestial object.
  • References

    *

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To toil.
  • * Latimer
  • slothful persons which will not travail for their livings
  • To go through the labor of childbirth.
  • * 1526 , William Tyndale, trans. Bible , John XIV:
  • A woman when she traveyleth hath sorowe, be cause her houre is come: but as sone as she is delivered off her chylde she remembreth no moare her anguysshe, for ioye that a man is borne in to the worlde.

    lassitude

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Lethargy or lack of energy; fatigue.
  • Listlessness or languor.
  • Quotations

    * 1874 , (Marcus Clarke), (For the Term of His Natural Life) Chapter VII *: Rufus Dawes, though his eyelids would scarcely keep open, and a terrible lassitude almost paralysed his limbs, eagerly drank in the whispered sentence. * 1919 , *: "Then it's No, darling?" he said at last. *: She gave a gesture of lassitude . She was exhausted. *: "The studio is yours. Everything belongs to you. If you want to bring him here, how can I prevent you?" * 2004 , "Is Slacking the Only Way to Survive the Office?," The Scotsman (Edinburgh), 16 Aug, *: In order to appear busy, one should pace around the office clutching files.... The best part of this ancient ritual is that it tends to make one's colleagues look away—just in case you and your papers are going to interrupt their own lassitude . * 2004 , Rob Hughes, "Soccer: The Olympic Flame Running Low on Fuel," International Herald Tribune (Paris), 11 Aug., *: At Euro 2004 and the 2002 World Cup, Blatter commented this week, many stars were physically and mentally exhausted, and left an aftertaste of nonchalance and lassitude .''