gruelling
Britishadjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of gruelling
C19: from now obsolete vb gruel to exhaust, punish
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.
Royal tours may look pretty but they can be gruelling.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
It is so gruelling that its Asia tournament in Hong Kong was billed as "physical hell", with player Leo Lines admitting that "anyone that's got the puck" is going through "some level of suffering".
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Kartal had to face 13 break points in a gruelling set, losing serve three times as Chwalinska forced a decider.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
Getting this movement to a more positive destination is possible, but it looks like a gruelling task.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
As soon as this happened, they cheerfully abandoned the gruelling, dangerous, and often spartan life of hunter-gatherers, settling down to enjoy the pleasant, satiated life of farmers.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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