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.
Yuriy, a senior instructor who led one of the squads across the gruelling obstacle course, has at times pondered the necessity of such trials given the nature of drone warfare.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Nico Gonzalez, speaking after a gruelling game in the heat against K-League All-Stars, provided valuable confirmation.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
"The five years have been so gruelling that I feel like a 500-year-old woman, one who cannot die."
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
At the time, he said: "It has been a gruelling but humbling six months, and I hope to have proven that anything is possible with some determination, self-belief and positivity."
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 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
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.
