variants
or gruelling
1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is grueling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
cutting diamonds can be grueling work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 grueling
There’s plenty that marathoners can do to keep a smile on their face for as many of those grueling miles as possible, like training smart, fueling well—and choosing a pair of shoes that makes the race fly by.
—
Lauren Wingenroth, SELF, 24 June 2025
The royal tomb dates to the 8th century B.C. and was found after a grueling four months of excavating.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2025
Jayden Vega, a rising senior from Tampa, Fla., nominated for his leading role in Urinetown, says the schedule is grueling.
—Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 23 June 2025
During twin ceremonies in the grueling heat Saturday, Dr. Almira Fifield received one accolade after another, giving her long-deserved recognition for her accomplishments and dedication.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Lauren Wingenroth, SELF, 24 June 2025
The royal tomb dates to the 8th century B.C. and was found after a grueling four months of excavating.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2025
Jayden Vega, a rising senior from Tampa, Fla., nominated for his leading role in Urinetown, says the schedule is grueling.
—Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 23 June 2025
During twin ceremonies in the grueling heat Saturday, Dr. Almira Fifield received one accolade after another, giving her long-deserved recognition for her accomplishments and dedication.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
-
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
-
Being governor of an American state is one of the great jobs in politics, and Lamont has been a notable success after a difficult start in 2019.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
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
-
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
-
These jobs are highly demanding, but they are considered part-time under the city charter.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 July 2025
-
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
-
Recruitment: Writing job descriptions can be an arduous task, but by creating a first draft with AI, HR leaders can focus on more strategic tasks, such as maximizing the company’s organizational structure to best support teams.—
Julie Hoagland,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
Like all babies, my youngest son learned this through arduous repetition.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
But after rookie third baseman Ronny Mauricio made an exceptionally tough double play to end a two-on, one-out threat in the bottom of the eighth, there was no way the Mets were losing.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
The loss of trustworthiness in the rigorous and nonpartisan work of the Task Force would devastate patients, hospital systems, and payers as misinformation creates barriers to accessing lifesaving and cost effective care.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Keep a distance from tall, isolated trees or other elevated objects.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 July 2025
-
And yes, the ceilings are quite tall and spacious, avoiding the cramped loft designs of other tiny homes.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share