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gruelling

British

/ ˈɡruːəlɪŋ /

adjective

severe or tiring

a gruelling interview

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

informal a severe experience, esp punishment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Held in large venues around the world throughout the year, it involves a gruelling circuit of eight strength-based exercise stations with a one-kilometre run between each.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Roaring crowds welcomed Greg - who said he'd "never cycle again" after an emotional, gruelling, week - as he pulled into Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, to complete his challenge.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

The Swiss pair of Arno Liethaa and Jon Kistler had led up the initial gruelling 65-metre climb.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

The travelling support embarked on a gruelling 2,500-mile trip to be there - the longest any English fan base had ever travelled in the Champions League.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 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