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

Derived 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

And from hearing my own friends’ stories, it sounded grueling emotionally.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Enacting change at the federal level has been a grueling process.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

But the contract also secured a 40-hour week with flex time off for extra hours, addressing long-standing complaints about grueling schedules.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

LaRavia credited good luck, an iron will and a dedicated weight training regimen for helping him survive the grueling season.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

So much of his job was just plain grueling, the challenges huge and often seemingly intractable.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

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