GRUELLING Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

grueling

adjective

ˈgrü-ə-liŋ

variants or gruelling

Definition of grueling

as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort running a marathon is grueling

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 This will be a physically gruelling knockout stage, the first World Cup with five knockout matches, and conserving energy for later matches makes sense. — Michael Cox, New York Times, 4 July 2026 Getting five-plus months to heal before the start of another grueling season will almost assuredly help the Panthers get back on track. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026 Masks are still prohibited during firefighters’ most grueling tasks — digging lines to stop fires and directly attacking flames. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 Over the weekend, Kate Middleton completed the grueling Three Peaks Challenge, which saw her climb the highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for grueling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling

Adjective

Unlike dogs, they cannot simply be taken on longer walks, often resist dietary changes, and can be difficult to medicate consistently, making GLP-1 therapies potentially attractive if clinical trials prove successful.

— Elsa Ohlen,Carolin Roth, CNBC, 18 July 2026
Their stories recount the devastation to homes and businesses, life in temporary shelters, and the difficult process of rebuilding or relocating.

— Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

The method also relies on multiple Bell tests and assumptions about independent quantum sources, which could make large-scale implementation challenging.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
His 15-point first half Thursday included two threes, a high-degree-of-difficulty turnaround jumper and another challenging jumper.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026

Definition of challenging

Adjective

White, when give the chance, has displayed a diverse offensive game, a defensive bent and an ability to make tough shots.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
The stakes for new avatar don’t feel quite as high—the specific circumstances around the former was a perfect storm that'll be tough to duplicate—but the music isn’t any less potent for it.

— Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Those efforts produced significant performance and efficiency gains for several of the laboratory’s most demanding applications.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 July 2026
Yzerman was known as a demanding, intimidating general manager who could grind players in negotiations.

— Max Bultman, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of demanding

Adjective

For more than two decades, the duo hauled in more than 4 pounds of clams each morning from the lagoon in the Po River Delta — upending the notion that women were unsuited for such a rigorous job.

— Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
Over the summer, kids might not have had to stick to a rigorous morning routine, but that all changes during the school year.

— Parents, Parents, 17 July 2026

Definition of rigorous

Adjective

Cole, in the 10th start of an arduous recovery from Tommy John surgery, had issued a leadoff walk to Mookie Betts.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca on his arduous journey home, marking his third collaboration with Nolan.

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026

Definition of arduous

Adjective

Essentially a rock has met a hard place – at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Remember, all this hard work to discover all these things has been done in the midst of designing a ballroom, cleaning up the reflecting pool and a host of other busy things the president and his administration have been doing.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026

Definition of hard

Adjective

In the $200,000 San Clemente Handicap 35-1 longshot Somerset West (Armando Ayuso) outran nine other 3-year-old fillies, including three formidable challengers who shipped in from the east.

— Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
Ohtani spearheads the game’s most formidable hypothetical October rotation.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 18 July 2026

Definition of formidable

Browse Nearby Words

grudgingly

grueling

gruesome

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of grueling

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on grueling

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dog days

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes