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arduous

[ ahr-joo-uhs or, especially British, ahr-dyoo- ]
/ ˈɑr dʒu əs or, especially British, ˈɑr dyu- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR arduous

adjective

requiring great exertion; laborious; difficult: an arduous undertaking.
requiring or using much energy and vigor; strenuous: making an arduous effort.
hard to climb; steep: an arduous path up the hill.
hard to endure; full of hardships; severe: an arduous winter.

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Origin of arduous

1530–40; <Latin arduus erect, steep, laborious; see -ous

ANTONYMS FOR arduous

1 easy.
SEE ANTONYMS FOR arduous

OTHER WORDS FROM arduous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to arduous

uphill, onerous, trying, tough, grueling, backbreaking, tiring, exhausting, burdensome, strenuous, formidable, rigorous, troublesome, laborious, painful, harsh, heavy, labored, murder, punishing

Example sentences from the Web for arduous

British Dictionary definitions for arduous

arduous
/ (ˈɑːdjʊəs) /

adjective

requiring great physical or mental effort; difficult to accomplish; strenuous
hard to endure; harsharduous conditions
hard to overcome or surmount; steep or difficultan arduous track

Derived forms of arduous

arduously, adverbarduousness, noun

Word Origin for arduous

C16: from Latin arduus steep, difficult
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012