Synonyms

grueling

American

[groo-uh-ling, groo-ling] / ˈgru ə lɪŋ, ˈgru lɪŋ /

especially British, gruelling

adjective

exhausting; very tiring; arduously severe.

the grueling Boston marathon.

noun

any trying or exhausting procedure or experience.

Other Word Forms

gruelingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of grueling

First recorded in 1850–55; slang gruel “punishment” (noun), “to punish” (verb) + -ing ¹, -ing ²

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.

Residents on the east side have spent the year in their own grueling hunts for available rentals and paperwork battles.

From The Wall Street Journal

That’s why she put together one of the most grueling schedules in all of college basketball, with four games against teams currently ranked in the top four.

From Los Angeles Times

Even the grueling rehab, where doctors once told him he might not fully recover, helped him weather the tough times at Furiosa.

From The Wall Street Journal

Finishing its soundtrack simultaneously was far more grueling than he anticipated.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a grueling schedule, but they cling to Louis Jr.’s motto — “We’ll sleep in January” — because this business is in their blood.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023