strenuous
Americanadjective
-
characterized by vigorous exertion, as action, efforts, life, etc..
a strenuous afternoon of hunting.
-
demanding or requiring vigorous exertion; laborious.
To think deeply is a strenuous task.
- Antonyms:
- easy
-
vigorous, energetic, or zealously active.
a strenuous person; a strenuous intellect.
- Synonyms:
- forceful
adjective
-
requiring or involving the use of great energy or effort
-
characterized by great activity, effort, or endeavour
Synonym Usage
See active.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of strenuous
1590–1600; < Latin strēnuus; see -ous
Explanation
Something strenuous requires all your effort and strength, like a hard workout at the gym or carrying a backpack full of heavy books. Strenuous can also describe something done with lots of energy or force. If your boss asks you to do a strenuous task like carry a couch up a flight of stairs by yourself, and you refuse by jumping up and down in protest, you have a strenuous objection to her request. To remember how to spell it, remember that something strenuous requires the strength of two of you! That's why there are two u's in strenUoUs.
Vocabulary lists containing strenuous
List 6
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The Phantom Tollbooth
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And Then There Were None
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The activity needs to be strenuous enough to leave you noticeably out of breath.
From Science Daily • May 16, 2026
Friday, and residents are urged to watch out for signs of heat stroke, drink plenty of fluids and avoid strenuous outdoor exercise.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
The U.S. military made strenuous efforts to distance itself from Israel when it mounted its Desert Storm campaign in 1991 to evict Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
“I am certain,” he wrote in one letter, “that we must make strenuous efforts … to improve the so-called Army mind.”
From Slate • Feb. 9, 2026
He had not done any strenuous walking for a long time, and the reflection looked rather flabby, he thought.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
