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gruelling

British  
/ ˈɡruːəlɪŋ /

adjective

  1. 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

  1. 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.

Gruelling work hours and a dismal job market are forcing young Chinese to make unusual choices.

From BBC • Jul. 17, 2023

Gruelling, intense and - despite having to cling on a little on in the closing stages as Scotland rallied - fully merited.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2022

Gruelling and repetitive it may be, but for the right kind of masochist, there is magic to be eked out.

From The Guardian • Jan. 19, 2013

Gruelling heats they were that tested every nerve and fibre, run under the eyes of judges who saw every move.

From Frank of Freedom Hill by Derieux, Samuel A. (Samuel Arthur)

Definitions 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.