variants
or gruelling
1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is grueling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
cutting diamonds can be grueling work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grueling
This can be a grueling 10 days for restaurant staff.
—
David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025
After taxes the winners are walking away with around $200,000 for three months of filming and a grueling Final — the winner of Survivor 47 scooped up more than double that just for lounging on the beach in Fiji for 26 days munching on french fries.
—Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2025
His grueling tour schedule—sometimes performing 250 shows per year—had taken a severe toll on both his physical and mental health.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 31 Dec. 2024
Reeves, whose character faces an ambiguous, potentially fatal end at the close of Chapter 4, has spoken previously about the grueling filming process of each John Wick adaptation.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grueling 
David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025
After taxes the winners are walking away with around $200,000 for three months of filming and a grueling Final — the winner of Survivor 47 scooped up more than double that just for lounging on the beach in Fiji for 26 days munching on french fries.
—Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2025
His grueling tour schedule—sometimes performing 250 shows per year—had taken a severe toll on both his physical and mental health.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 31 Dec. 2024
Reeves, whose character faces an ambiguous, potentially fatal end at the close of Chapter 4, has spoken previously about the grueling filming process of each John Wick adaptation.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grueling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grueling
Adjective
-
Despite his success, Axiom’s presence in WWE is remarkable, as professional wrestling remains niche in Spain and has been difficult to find on TV.Jamie Lang, Variety, 6 Jan. 2025
-
However, the complexity of the systems required to control so many qubits makes scalability difficult.Peter Cohan, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Farley said those earnings included the export of vehicles such as the Lincoln Nautilus, which is exclusively produced in China for other markets such as the U.S. China has been an increasingly challenging market for automakers, especially western legacy companies such as Ford and General Motors.Michael Wayland, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2025
-
Finding a way to relax and take your mind off football can be challenging, but Colwill uses Lego to unwind.The Athletic UK Staff, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Two of the judges on the D.C. Circuit applied strict scrutiny, the highest and most demanding form of judicial review, and said the government satisfied that standard.Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2025
-
Consumers are more demanding than ever, seeking true desirability, hyper-personalization, sustainability and seamless omnichannel experiences.Jill Standish, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Even those with full, traditional coverage face an arduous claims process to receive full benefits from an industry known for low-balling policyholders.Carmen Balber, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025
-
Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, cautioned that finding common ground with Kelly on reform may still be an arduous process.Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Households are currently seeing significant reductions in their monthly electricity usage, resulting in cost savings—a big relief, especially in tough economic times.Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
-
Reporting Highlights Child Care Gap: About 70% of rural Illinoisans live in a child care desert, forcing tough choices on parents: Some drive 100 miles a day or more to find care, others leave the workforce.ProPublica, ProPublica, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Truth, in this sense, is sought and rendered, something produced by rigorous inquiry and informed consideration rather than something discovered.Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2025
-
The Kings hadn’t played since their double-overtime win over the Miami Heat on Monday, leaving three days between games, which likely would have meant at least one rigorous practice with Brown at the helm.Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
They are located next to the Museum of the Future and the taller building is an office tower, while its smaller counterpart is a hotel.Adam Williams, New Atlas, 14 Jan. 2025
-
But Sasaki healed and grew into a tall, rail-thin teenage sensation as a high schooler.Stephen J. Nesbitt, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023
-
Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near grueling
Cite this Entry
“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grueling. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share