grueling

adjective

gru·​el·​ing ˈgrü-ə-liŋ How to pronounce grueling (audio)
variants or gruelling
: trying or taxing to the point of exhaustion : punishing
a grueling race
gruelingly adverb

Examples of grueling in a Sentence

running a marathon is grueling cutting diamonds can be grueling work
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Along with relearning tasks, Mendelssohn faced a grueling few years of recovery, largely due to complications involving one of her bile ducts: it had been tied off or sewn shut during the donor extraction process. Jordan Greene, People.com, 14 July 2025 The community of Kerrville, Texas, ravaged by the catastrophic flooding of the Guadalupe River last week, is mourning its losses as rescue teams continue the grueling task of recovering the remains of missing victims. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 11 July 2025 After 14 grueling hours, her son found her and called an ambulance. Doc Louallen, ABC News, 11 July 2025 After three increasingly intense seasons and a grueling global publicity campaign for the finale, Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae is finally ready to part ways with Player 456. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for grueling

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of obsolete gruel to exhaust, punish, from gruel, noun

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grueling was in 1852

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grueling. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

grueling

adjective
gru·​el·​ing
variants or gruelling
: requiring extreme effort : exhausting

More from Merriam-Webster on grueling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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