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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arduous
Choosing the perfect paint colors for your home is an exciting yet arduous task.
—
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 29 Dec. 2025
Treatment can be arduous and costly.
—Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025
Beginning in 1959, editors put in arduous work toward compiling the first encyclopedias written in Braille, the innovative code developed by Louis Braille in 19th century France.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Dec. 2025
After an arduous and bumpy takeoff, Palantir went public in 2020.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arduous
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 29 Dec. 2025
Treatment can be arduous and costly.
—Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025
Beginning in 1959, editors put in arduous work toward compiling the first encyclopedias written in Braille, the innovative code developed by Louis Braille in 19th century France.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Dec. 2025
After an arduous and bumpy takeoff, Palantir went public in 2020.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arduous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arduous
Adjective
-
Business leaders, of course, have their own interests and shareholders to serve, but Democrats can still protect the public interest while giving CEOs a seat at the table to reach pragmatic answers to difficult questions like these.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Activist groups say hundreds of people have been killed, though the true toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout and tight state controls on information.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But advocates say this year has been the most challenging.—
Ubah Ali,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Purple proved to be the most challenging.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
After a rocky two years, the luxury industry is expected to carry its third-quarter recovery into Q4, despite some tough comparables.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
15 Jan. 2026
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That hope ended on July 3, 2025 when Michael, the charismatic tough guy actor known for his memorable roles in Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs, died of cardiac arrest at 67 years old after a long struggle with alcoholism.—
Liz McNeil,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Philadelphia first tried the 24-year-old at center but eventually moved him to the wing, presumably because of his struggles in the faceoff circle (just 39 percent of draws won) and because the wing is a less demanding defensive position.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Both must meet demanding performance standards, operate on efficient edge-compute systems, deliver provable safety, and scale in a commercially viable way.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
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Denim and cotton can survive in rigorous washing, while silk and wool will need a gentle washing.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Shouldn’t even be that hard to sharpen the blasted thing, let alone twist it.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Jones raved about his consistency, intelligence, hard work and athleticism.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arduous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arduous. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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