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
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.
Moving the rock through finer and finer grits is time-consuming, strenuous and not always rewarding.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Hyrox, a strenuous fitness competition that involves 1-kilometer runs and multiple strength challenges such as hauling weights, had 55,000 participants in China this past year, up from 7,300 a year earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Shopping for a home loan on top of the strenuous process of shopping for the house itself might sound exhausting — but buyers who skip this undertaking often end up considerably overpaying for their mortgage.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Officials have warned people to stay indoors to avoid the smoke, and to avoid strenuous activity and heavy breathing when spending time outside.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
During spring and summer—the most strenuous periods of foraging—a worker bee, as a rule, does not live more than four or five weeks .
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
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.
