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

In 2024, Rolling Stone found that actors in the vertical space reported that the genre’s growth also allegedly came with grueling hours, poor pay, racial disparity in leading roles, and a lack of regulation. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025

Now add to that an extensive training block for New York, notoriously one of the most grueling marathons for professional and amateur runners alike. —Micki Fahner, NBC news, 1 Nov. 2025

Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, House of the Dragon, and The Pitthave all featured grueling and gory depictions of what those series frame as women’s work, punctuated with founts of blood and soundtracked by screams. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025

Jurors heard grueling accounts from Barnes’ mother Charlie Postell, his childhood best friend and Hurricanes teammate Earl Little and Lumpkins’ best friend, Keisha Carter. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025

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