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
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Ncell, Nepal’s second-largest telecommunications service provider, noted that shutting down all platforms at once was, in any case, technically difficult and warned that the move would severely impact business.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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Last summer, after years of hip problems and some difficult surgeries to address them, Jill had an operation that went poorly.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy, Earle tackled a challenging routine that impressed the judges.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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Real-world tests The scientists tested THOR AI on several challenging copper, argon, and tin cases.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For the next six years, Kira endured a rigorous drug treatment regime and was frequently in and out of hospitals.—
Ruchi Kumar,
NPR,
14 Sep. 2025
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During a break in the rigorous shooting schedule for the limited series, which also stars Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden, Partridge was able to squeeze in the trip with old college friends.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On the other extreme is the argument that the dynamic is a matter of other factors, such as the types of work women choose; maternity disruptions to careers; less willingness on the whole to work long hours or more physically demanding positions; and poorer negotiation skills.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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The study frames smoke-drying as a deliberate and technically demanding mortuary innovation among tropical hunter-gatherers.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The backcourt duo of Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, also known as the StudBudz, are shifty, tough shot-making guards who can get hot in a hurry.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
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And that’s tough on those guys.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For decades, home cooks have been bound to outdated methods, including arduous timers, checking recipe charts, and leaving precision to guesswork.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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That probably was, again, the most rewarding and the most arduous one of the bunch.—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Consider how closed captioning, originally developed for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, now benefits millions in noisy environments or when audio isn't available.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Just hard to think that’ll happen coming off the Jacksonville blowout.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Similar to the way Madueke drove at his man without hesitation, those first-time strikes were very welcome after last season, when many actions in and around the penalty area felt a bit too laborious.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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Now, humanity stands at a pivotal juncture as the laborious, expensive and high-stakes process of attempting to convert such grand visions into reality is actually underway.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toilsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toilsome. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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