grueling
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grueling
First recorded in 1850–55; slang gruel “punishment” (noun), “to punish” (verb) + -ing 1, -ing 2
Explanation
If a job is grueling, that means it is really difficult. If a race is grueling, that means it is really difficult. If a trip to the dentist is grueling, that means you need to toughen up. Once upon a time in a land far far away (like eighteenth century England) there was an expression, to “get one’s gruel,” which meant “receive one’s punishment.” This saying morphed into the word grueling, which can be applied to any punishing activity. Presumably, to “get one’s gruel” involved horrible punishments, but now the more pampered among us might even find a long tennis match grueling.
Vocabulary lists containing grueling
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List 7
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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 remaining three stages will determine the winner: Grueling mountain legs on Friday and Saturday followed by a hilly individual time trial that ends the race in Verona on Sunday.
From Seattle Times • May 26, 2022
Grueling field work was not to her liking.
From Washington Times • Nov. 14, 2018
Grueling in the wrong hands, the play's relentless attacks and counterattacks have a revelatory power when the right cast comes together.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2016
Deal, no deal: Grueling drama en route to Iran nuclear pact Marathon bargaining that led to historic agreement included humor, warmth and gut-churning intensity.
From Washington Post • Nov. 25, 2013
A Grueling Mix for Stout Hearts In retrospect, it feels inevitable that Joel Harrison would make a big-band record.
From New York Times • Jul. 17, 2013
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.
