grueling
adjective
gru·el·ing
ˈgrü-ə-liŋ 
variants
or gruelling
: trying or taxing to the point of exhaustion : punishing
a grueling race
a grueling schedule
Examples of grueling in a Sentence
running a marathon is grueling
cutting diamonds can be grueling work
Recent Examples on the Web
In Havana, the public bus system has effectively ground to a halt, leaving residents stranded as endemic power outages and grueling fuel lines reach a breaking point.
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CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
This was a grueling full-day program that required a three-times per week commitment at a clinic an hour and a half away.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Previously, victims often had to report every individual image one by one, which was a grueling task.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
After a grueling year, 46-year-old Tashia Jones of Mount Holly, North Carolina, was juggling work and life as a first-time empty-nester.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
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CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
This was a grueling full-day program that required a three-times per week commitment at a clinic an hour and a half away.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Previously, victims often had to report every individual image one by one, which was a grueling task.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
After a grueling year, 46-year-old Tashia Jones of Mount Holly, North Carolina, was juggling work and life as a first-time empty-nester.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grueling. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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