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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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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But having dodged the traps of the social media news era, The Economist now faces looming long-term structural challenges that may be more difficult to avoid.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Frontflips are generally more difficult than backflips for both humans and robots.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Here’s a look at five of Colorado’s scariest, most challenging ski slopes.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Competing in the relay of this event is heroic, choosing the individual adult event is up there at the top of challenging events.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Many rigorous studies show that these ads can benefit patients’ health by encouraging them to seek lifesaving treatment for conditions such as depression and heart disease and sparking conversations with their doctors.—
Anna Chorniy,
The Conversation,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The school has a little bit of everything with 34 athletic teams, 50 clubs and rigorous college-level academics.—
February 27,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Soccer is not only physical, but extremely mentally demanding.—
Rick Cantu,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Paul’s life as a doctor, academic, teacher, doer, and optimist created a demanding legacy.—
Chelsea Clinton,
Vanity Fair,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Heat’s climb to get out of the play-in tournament this season just got tougher.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Regulation overseas may be a tougher sell.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What followed was an arduous journey for the rapper.—
Maya Georgi,
VIBE.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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What’s more, the process of claiming residency in a new state to avoid taxes can be arduous as state tax auditors scrutinize and frequently challenge changes of filing status for wealthy taxpayers.—
Christopher Marquis,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For now, clarity is powering media shares higher, but conviction in AI is proving harder to sustain.—
Nur Hikmah Md Ali,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The hard part is getting a deal done.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In a laborious process, researchers tweak these factors until the models produce accurate predictions based on past data.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The laborious process was a chance to connect with him.—
James Russell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toilsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toilsome. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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