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

Glazer recently opened up to PEOPLE about the grueling demands of Broadway and how her beauty routine has been affected. —Catherine Santino, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Mina, worried about her young kids doing the math about her long, grueling commute, cautiously accepts Alma’s gracious offer. —Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025

The grind of an 82-game schedule can be grueling and developing a bunker-like mentality is key at times. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2025

The Making of ‘The Americas,‘ which was initially slated strictly for streaming, will now premiere on NBC on April 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, pulling back the curtain on the epic and often grueling journey of filming over five years across 180 expeditions in some of the most extreme locations on Earth. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Mar. 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

Rhymes for grueling

• refueling

Kids Definition

grueling

adjective

gru·​el·​ing

variants or gruelling

ˈgrü-ə-liŋ 

: requiring extreme effort : exhausting