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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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.
A Bay Area woman has made history with a roughly 900-mile swim that meant navigating hurricanes and tropical storms, an experience that took months and was alternately grueling and magical.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
What would have been a grueling process for most was an escape for Dieffenbach, who was struggling through the most adverse time in his life: his mother’s bout with breast cancer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
But if I can safely and reliably avoid the grueling stuff—plane-ticket refunds, insurance policy contracts, mortgage applications—I’d gladly accept an AI agent’s help.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
He required employees to attend self-help seminars and show their athletic prowess by completing grueling hikes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
On November 9, after three grueling weeks on the plateau, Poulsson and the team finally reached their assigned base near the glider landing site.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
