grueling

American  

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

especially British, gruelling

adjective

1. exhausting; very tiring; arduously severe.

   the grueling Boston marathon.

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noun

1. 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

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.

Example Sentences

But it’d be fun, not too physically grueling.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

In a grueling defensive slugfest with fellow No. 1-seed Texas, the Bruins won 51-44 to advance to Sunday’s national championship game against South Carolina.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Luckily for us, “House of David” showrunner Jon Erwin emphasizes the grueling battle required to pull this off instead of the field surgery.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Stock market volatility can be grueling on your nerves, but it can also create opportunities to eke out some tax savings.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

Were they up to the grueling combat work that lay ahead?

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• arduous
• backbreaking
• brutal
• demanding
• excruciating
• exhausting
• fierce
• laborious
• punishing
• strenuous
• tiring
• torturous
• trying