TOILSOME Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

toilsome

adjective

ˈtȯi(-ə)l-səm

Definition of toilsome

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

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

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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toilsome

Adjective

The problem, Snegovaya said, is that achieving military autonomy for Europe and Ukraine is extremely difficult in the short term, and Europe has been slow to develop the necessary capabilities.

— Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
Past changes have pushed the glacier into a retreat that may be difficult to reverse, while new modeling suggests scientists may have underestimated how warm seawater reaches beneath it.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

As Hispanic Heritage Month continues, one musician at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music is challenging expectations about classical music and the harp.

— Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Naomi Ackie, who plays the scientist charged with Hagen’s experimental procedure, praised how her co-star shouldered what was a very challenging role.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of challenging

Adjective

Finally, Horrigan noted that inbound freight deserves the same rigorous management as outbound, stressing that procurement teams need visibility into the freight component of supplier pricing.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
The whole piece is about the free and rigorous interplay of line.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of rigorous

Adjective

Celebrity hairstylist Brian Magallones considers this the perfect balance between a not-too-fussy and not-too-structured chignon, a style that sounds tough to style without a professional team but is actually quite easy to master at-home.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Coming off that dominant performance against the Yankees, Rasmussen went six-plus tough innings.

— Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Creative endeavor, in the space of a few hours, flashes its many faces, arduous and sexy, fleeting and fun.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
The simple-seeming request turned into an arduous task that would require scores of emails, multiple phone calls with Epic employees, a flight to Las Vegas, and a software update.

— O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of arduous

Adjective

Two innings later, the Dodgers took the lead again, rewarded for hard contact as the Brewers’ defense showed its first signs of sloppy play.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Games Can’t Gamble on Talent Opportunities to develop emerging talent are becoming harder to find, particularly in video games, van Beek said.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of hard

Adjective

Many of those stripped from the electoral rolls are appealing their removal—an often laborious process—but the possibility of mass disenfranchisement is real.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Teaching teams how to win, planting seeds of a healthy culture and seeing the fruits of that laborious efforts, is far more important than picking at the top of any draft.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of laborious

Browse Nearby Words

toils

toilsome

token

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“Toilsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toilsome. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of toilsome

adjective

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