grueling

adjective

gru·​el·​ing ˈgrü-ə-liŋ 

variants or gruelling

: trying or taxing to the point of exhaustion : punishing

a grueling race

gruelingly

ˈgrü-ə-liŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• arduous
• Augean
• backbreaking
• challenging
• demanding
• difficult
• effortful
• exacting
• formidable
• hard
• heavy
• hellacious
• herculean
• killer
• laborious
• moiling
• murderous
• pick-and-shovel
• rigorous
• rough
• rugged
• severe
• stiff
• strenuous
• sweaty
• tall
• testing
• toilsome
• tough
• uphill

Examples of grueling in a Sentence

running a marathon is grueling

cutting diamonds can be grueling work

Recent Examples on the Web

Related card An inside look at the grueling world of professional cycling Television footage shows the cyclists racing into oncoming traffic, bunching up into one lane of the road to avoid the line of trucks and cars. —Issy Ronald, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025

Last year, a New York Times investigation revealed that the dance group has exploited its young performers, typically the children of Falun Gong followers, by paying them little or nothing to work long hours and keep grueling schedules. —Michael Rothfeld, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025

The livestream served as a follow-up to their original Fortnite stream in December 2024, which lasted a grueling 57 hours. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Feb. 2025

Brody grows most animated when talking about the grueling, truncated 34-day shoot, stabbing the air for emphasis. —Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of obsolete gruel to exhaust, punish, from gruel, noun

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

grueling

adjective

gru·​el·​ing

variants or gruelling

ˈgrü-ə-liŋ 

: requiring extreme effort : exhausting