ARDUOUS Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'arduous' different from other adjectives like it?

The words difficult and hard are common synonyms of arduous . While all three words mean "demanding great exertion or effort," arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion. // the arduous task of rebuilding

Q: When could 'difficult' be used to replace 'arduous'?

While in some cases nearly identical to arduous , difficult implies the presence of obstacles to be surmounted or puzzles to be resolved and suggests the need of skill or courage. // the difficult ascent of the mountain

Q: When is it sensible to use 'hard' instead of 'arduous'?

The synonyms hard and arduous are sometimes interchangeable, but hard implies the opposite of all that is easy. // farming is hard work

arduous

adjective

ˈär-jə-wəs

Definition of arduous

as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort climbing Mount Everest is an arduous, exhausting challenge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in challenging

requiring much time, effort, or careful attention the arduous task of doing the research for my term paper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word arduous different from other adjectives like it?

The words difficult and hard are common synonyms of arduous. While all three words mean "demanding great exertion or effort," arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion.

the arduous task of rebuilding

When could difficult be used to replace arduous?

While in some cases nearly identical to arduous, difficult implies the presence of obstacles to be surmounted or puzzles to be resolved and suggests the need of skill or courage.

the difficult ascent of the mountain

When is it sensible to use hard instead of arduous?

The synonyms hard and arduous are sometimes interchangeable, but hard implies the opposite of all that is easy.

farming is hard work

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of arduous The cold temperature combined with the stickiness of any food juices that get stuck to the inside of the fridge make cleaning it arduous and time-consuming (and gross). — Kate McKenna, The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026 In April, the guitarist detailed his arduous cancer journey in an interview with Rolling Stone. — Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2026 The arduous journey has been completed officially 3,265 times — 2,128 of those being solo swims and 1,137 relay swims. — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 18 Sep. 2026 Illustration by Patricia Bolaños The climb from Hell to Heaven can be long and arduous. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arduous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for arduous

Adjective

Performances across the board are strong, even if the characterizations themselves are more difficult to embrace.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Making short-haul rail more competitive Parallel argues that its system could open routes that are currently difficult for conventional rail services to serve economically, particularly journeys under 500 miles.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

Disappointingly, her screenplay proceeds to unfold in a procession of frustrating get-outs and compromises, repeatedly choosing the least interesting or challenging direction to take this would-be throuple.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Oscar-winning DoP Greig Fraser knows a thing or two about working on challenging movies, from Dune to The Batman, Rogue One to Zero Dark Thirty.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of challenging

Adjective

Celebrity hairstylist Brian Magallones considers this the perfect balance between a not-too-fussy and not-too-structured chignon, a style that sounds tough to style without a professional team but is actually quite easy to master at-home.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Coming off that dominant performance against the Yankees, Rasmussen went six-plus tough innings.

— Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

The researchers plan to continue improving the system and evaluate it on more demanding manipulation tasks.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
In civil denaturalization cases, the government generally must prove its case in federal court with clear, unequivocal and convincing evidence, a demanding standard that reflects the importance of citizenship and the consequences of revoking it.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of demanding

Adjective

The list takes months to compile, with multiple steps and checks designed to ensure the ranking is rigorous and consistent.

— Kelli Grant, CFP®,Riley de León, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
With rigorous reporting and more than 150 interviews with those working for the US’ most influential AI companies, technology journalist Roose covers Silicon Valley’s breakneck race to build artificial general intelligence.

— Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of rigorous

Adjective

Two innings later, the Dodgers took the lead again, rewarded for hard contact as the Brewers’ defense showed its first signs of sloppy play.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Games Can’t Gamble on Talent Opportunities to develop emerging talent are becoming harder to find, particularly in video games, van Beek said.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of hard

Browse Nearby Words

ardor

arduous

arduously

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“Arduous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arduous. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of arduous

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