1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
faced with the toilsome task of cleaning out her deceased father's homestead
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
this is the most toilsome part of the construction, so we'll go slowly to make sure we're doing it right
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toilsome
Meanwhile, Republicans lacked the votes to pass anything so their amendments tended to be trollish and toilsome fliers meant to either own the libs or just annoy the legislators.
—
Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2022
Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.
—Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019
Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2022
Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.
—Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toilsome
Adjective
-
Jens generally chooses his words carefully, and is, what’s more, particularly reticent just after finishing a long and difficult winter delivery trip; what’s a person supposed to do with words in a blizzard anyway, up on a stormy heath and all directions lost?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
In his first start in the wake of Beau Pribula’s significant injury, Zollers walked into a difficult situation, and his stat line reflected it.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
What’s been the most challenging period for you?—
Kevin Cassidy,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Getting back in shape this year proved to be more challenging than expected.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors.—
Harlan Vaughn,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The Encinitas Green Business Network provides a rigorous framework for local organizations to reduce their environmental footprint through actionable, practical, and high-impact improvements.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Being the greatest gymnast is a demanding job, requiring a level of physical, mental, and emotional commitment most people couldn’t handle.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Polartec® Power Shield™ Pro—Protection, Evolved Engineered for the world’s most demanding mountain athletes, Polartec® Power Shield™ Pro represents the pinnacle of shell technology, blurring the lines between hard and soft shells.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
This loss had to be especially tough for the Jayhawks, considering a controversial holding call on KU changed the momentum of the game.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
-
However, their record at the Etihad makes for tough reading.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The thousands of others impacted would have to file and administrative protest and likely face a long and arduous road to reimbursement.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Nov. 2025
-
In interviews with Rolling Stone prior to the resolution, Franco, Abrams, and Abernathy largely described Simmons’ apparent delay in payment as another emotional blow in the already-arduous process of legal action against him.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Of all my books, Helm has been so hard and so lovingly written.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Regardless, making amends with Ronnie is harder than Lilly would like.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Its high cost is due to a combination of huge demand and shrinking stocks, coupled with a laborious extraction process.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The questionnaires are a way to weed out people with conflicts and also to provide a head start in picking a jury, which can be a laborious but vitally important part of the trial.—
John Diedrich,
jsonline.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toilsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toilsome. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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