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 Prevail - What's the difference?

travail | prevail |

As verbs the difference between travail and prevail

is that travail is to toil while prevail is to be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand; to outnumber others.

As a noun travail

is arduous or painful exertion; excessive labor, suffering, hardship.

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.

    prevail

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand; to outnumber others.
  • Red colour prevails in the Canadian flag.
  • * , Exodus 17:11
  • And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed'; and when he let down his hand, Amalek ' prevailed .
  • To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence.
  • In his day and age, such practices prevailed all over Europe.
  • To succeed in persuading]] or [[induce, inducing.
  • I prevailed on him to wait.

    Derived terms

    * cooler heads will prevail

    References

    * *