1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
climbing Mount Everest is an arduous, exhausting challenge
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
the arduous task of doing the research for my term paper
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arduous
But lawmakers did see progress on some key items Friday, including on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap that has proven to be an arduous battle between the Senate GOP and House members from high-tax states.
—
Al Weaver, The Hill, 28 June 2025
It’s been an arduous journey of more than seven years from Invasion of Privacy to Cardi B’s sophomore album.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 26 June 2025
The mission proved to be much more arduous than expected for her and her small crew of four, all of whom are first tour aviators.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 11 July 2025
And this is going to be long, arduous work to find all the remains.
—Obed Manuel, NPR, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for arduous
Al Weaver, The Hill, 28 June 2025
It’s been an arduous journey of more than seven years from Invasion of Privacy to Cardi B’s sophomore album.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 26 June 2025
The mission proved to be much more arduous than expected for her and her small crew of four, all of whom are first tour aviators.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 11 July 2025
And this is going to be long, arduous work to find all the remains.
—Obed Manuel, NPR, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for arduous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arduous
Adjective
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Some students may face family challenges that affect their ability to get to school, and some changes to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test, such as its move to online instead of paper form, could be difficult for students who only access computers at school, Maldonado said.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Diseases that are difficult to manage without early intervention, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer, place a significant burden on health care budgets and patient quality of life.—
Kim Praitano,
Sun Sentinel,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Besides the challenging business climate in Chicago, President Donald Trump’s tariffs are contributing to rising food costs, and his immigration crackdown threatens to disrupt the food-service workforce.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 July 2025
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Points available at the stage’s finish vary based on a coefficient of difficulty: the more challenging the stage, the fewer points available.—
Sophie Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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The tougher policy changes are adding to the minors’ trauma, advocates say.—
Nicol León,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
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Her tough but fair approach caught the attention of Ed Koch, New York City's mayor at the time, who appointed her as a criminal court judge in 1982.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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In the more demanding Steel Nomad benchmark, the Dell 16 Plus trailed both the Acer Swift 16 AI and LG Gram Pro.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
17 July 2025
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Montague also points out that only six Skyview suites exist across the entire 822-guest ship, creating the kind of scarcity that discerning travelers are increasingly demanding.—
Alexis Benveniste,
Robb Report,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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Ozzy Osbourne shared 3 children with first wife Thelma Riley The father of six children over two marriages, Osbourne has been vocal about how rigorous touring and alcohol use affected his family life.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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The 22-year-old flew to the United States and went through the DCC’s rigorous tryouts, eventually becoming one of six new rookies to join the 36-member squad, out of thousands who auditioned.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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The Cubs were always going to be a far more formidable opponent than the Nationals and Rockies, against whom the Red Sox collected the first six of their 10-game win streak before the All-Star break.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 July 2025
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This year promises to be quite a battle between the two formidable opponents, as Erwin Hymer brands have previewed gorgeous new launches like the Bürstner Signature and Dethleffs E.Home Eco.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arduous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arduous. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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