strenuous
Americanadjective
-
characterized by vigorous exertion, as action, efforts, life, etc..
a strenuous afternoon of hunting.
-
demanding or requiring vigorous exertion; laborious.
To think deeply is a strenuous task.
- Antonyms:
- easy
-
vigorous, energetic, or zealously active.
a strenuous person; a strenuous intellect.
- Synonyms:
- forceful
adjective
-
requiring or involving the use of great energy or effort
-
characterized by great activity, effort, or endeavour
Related Words
See active.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of strenuous
1590–1600; < Latin strēnuus; see -ous
Explanation
Something strenuous requires all your effort and strength, like a hard workout at the gym or carrying a backpack full of heavy books. Strenuous can also describe something done with lots of energy or force. If your boss asks you to do a strenuous task like carry a couch up a flight of stairs by yourself, and you refuse by jumping up and down in protest, you have a strenuous objection to her request. To remember how to spell it, remember that something strenuous requires the strength of two of you! That's why there are two u's in strenUoUs.
Vocabulary lists containing strenuous
List 6
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The Phantom Tollbooth
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And Then There Were None
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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.
Friday, and residents are urged to watch out for signs of heat stroke, drink plenty of fluids and avoid strenuous outdoor exercise.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
“I am certain,” he wrote in one letter, “that we must make strenuous efforts … to improve the so-called Army mind.”
From Slate • Feb. 9, 2026
Castro was freed in late November after strenuous diplomatic efforts by France and flown home to Paris, where his mother had been frantically awaiting news of his fate.
From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026
Relations appeared to thaw last summer following strenuous European efforts to persuade Trump that allies are useful for U.S. interests and not a hindrance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026
Unaccustomed to such strenuous labor, they would stop digging as they pleased, basking in the sun until they were trodden on by columns of marching rats.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
