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

Long story short, a teenaged Bolles was on a grueling mountain hike with his troop, and his elders challenged him to finish the darn thing. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026

After four grueling years, Russia controls 20% of Ukrainian territory, chipping away at its eastern frontiers in a war of attrition that has now lasted longer than the Soviet Union’s fight against Nazi Germany. —Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026

Large parts of the world will experience grueling heatwaves. —Hannah Ritchie, Big Think, 24 Feb. 2026

By Phillip Reese | KFF Health News After a grueling year of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation to treat breast cancer, Sadia Zapp was anxious — not the manageable hum that had long been part of her life, but something deeper, more distracting. —Kff Health News, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 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