1
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
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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Recent Examples of arduous
Meanwhile, the city’s upcoming budget process is already shaping up to be an arduous one, given the $1.1 billion deficit projected for 2026.
—
Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
But that season got increasingly arduous for Golden State.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 22 June 2025
The video chronicles the woman, Cassey Ashby, and her partner's arduous process detailing the hours of training and home studies needed to become the twins' foster, and eventually adoptive, parents.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
Yet demonstrating such a benefit is slow, arduous work.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for arduous
Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
But that season got increasingly arduous for Golden State.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 22 June 2025
The video chronicles the woman, Cassey Ashby, and her partner's arduous process detailing the hours of training and home studies needed to become the twins' foster, and eventually adoptive, parents.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
Yet demonstrating such a benefit is slow, arduous work.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for arduous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arduous
Adjective
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James is playing the final year of his contract at $52.6 million, which is a very difficult number for teams to pay.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
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Our models and expertise can sniff out the broad parameters, but the precise location and timing of moisture plumes, training (quasi-stationary rain cells), and forcing mechanism can be difficult.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
The producer said getting his hands on an original copy of the Carter song on LP proved challenging, and expensive, signaling a cult following for such music.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
9 July 2025
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Gap Easy Trousers Finding summer work pants that are both breathable and stylish can be challenging, but these petite Easy Trousers from Gap fit the bill perfectly.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Morton, 43, may take that advice under serious consideration, mentioning how tough the fans – and even fellow cast members – have been on her following this past season’s cast trip to Grenada.—
John Lawson,
Essence,
9 July 2025
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With one out, however, Ohtani was thrown at the plate trying to score from third on Pages’ chopper up the line — making an aggressive, but proper, read in a game in which the Dodgers had long before conceded that runs would be tough to come by.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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These jobs are highly demanding, but they are considered part-time under the city charter.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 July 2025
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Once upon a time, the leadership style of a college coach was simple: intense, demanding, rigid, focused on detail and motivating with more stick than carrot.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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The Freeform rolling carry-on was deemed the Best Overall Carry-on by Travel + Leisure after rounds of rigorous testing at our New York City lab.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
11 July 2025
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Before a potential controller can even step foot in the academy, there’s a rigorous application and qualification process.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
11 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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In short, because the Ukrainians have put up a formidable defense.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
9 July 2025
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Given the progress North Korea has made since 2019, however, Pyongyang would still retain a nuclear arsenal formidable enough to make any foreign attack unthinkable.—
ANDREI LANKOV,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arduous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arduous. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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