toilsome

adjective

toil·​some ˈtȯi(-ə)l-səm How to pronounce toilsome (audio)
: marked by or full of toil or fatigue : laborious
a toilsome task
toilsomely adverb
toilsomeness noun

Examples of toilsome in a Sentence

faced with the toilsome task of cleaning out her deceased father's homestead this is the most toilsome part of the construction, so we'll go slowly to make sure we're doing it right
Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, Republicans lacked the votes to pass anything so their amendments tended to be trollish and toilsome fliers meant to either own the libs or just annoy the legislators. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2022 But as these commemorations advance these important discussions, another more toilsome question continues to unfold in the background: What will happen to those who actually participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol? Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 8 Jan. 2022 Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead. Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toilsome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toilsome was circa 1570

Dictionary Entries Near toilsome

Cite this Entry

“Toilsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toilsome. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

toilsome

adjective
toil·​some ˈtȯi(ə)l-səm How to pronounce toilsome (audio)
: requiring much effort
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