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

gruelingly

ˈgrü-ə-liŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of grueling

• difficult
• challenging
• tough
• rigorous
• demanding
• hard
• formidable

Examples of grueling in a Sentence

running a marathon is grueling

cutting diamonds can be grueling work

Recent Examples on the Web

Women who have worked for years in grueling, low-paying jobs now have solid careers and a bright future. —Mike Keogh, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

The catcher played in the first two games of the series, and an off day on Sunday would have given him two straight days of rest early in a grueling season. —Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026

That's relatively common in figure skating for gold medal winners who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup. —ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026

That's a relatively common decision for figure skating gold medal winners, who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup. —CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for grueling

• refueling

Kids Definition

grueling

adjective

gru·​el·​ing

variants or gruelling

ˈgrü-ə-liŋ 

: requiring extreme effort : exhausting