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

For homeowners, the battle to collect insurance money after the Eaton and Palisades fires has exacerbated a grueling recovery that's far from over. —Michael Copley, NPR, 13 Jan. 2026

Chris Mara, the brother of co-owner John Mara, has stepped forward in recent months during John Mara’s grueling cancer battle. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2026

And the travel can be a little grueling. —John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026

As anyone who has tried can attest, building anything these days, whether a house or a commercial project, requires navigating a complex labyrinth of regulations, enduring a long and grueling and extremely costly, and often arbitrary, multilayered approval, review, and permitting process. —Lee Steinhauer, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 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