grueling

adjective

gru·​el·​ing ˈgrü-ə-liŋ How to pronounce grueling (audio)
variants or gruelling
: trying or taxing to the point of exhaustion : punishing
a grueling race
gruelingly adverb

Examples of grueling in a Sentence

running a marathon is grueling cutting diamonds can be grueling work
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Annett underwent surgery after the season in December, and what followed was six grueling months of rehabilitation. Richard Dunn, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025 Even for a physician-scientist team, the work was grueling and relentless. Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025 The start of the 2025 season was a grueling one for the Aces, starting out 14-14 before winning their last 16 regular season games. Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025 And Buium started his focus on getting his body ready for a grueling 82-game season. Joe Smith, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grueling

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grueling was in 1852

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grueling. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

grueling

adjective
gru·​el·​ing
variants or gruelling
: requiring extreme effort : exhausting

More from Merriam-Webster on grueling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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