grueling

[ groo-uh-ling, groo-ling ]

adjective

1. exhausting; very tiring; arduously severe:

   the grueling Boston marathon.

noun

1. any trying or exhausting procedure or experience.

Other Words From

• gruel·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of grueling¹

First recorded in 1850–55; slang gruel “punishment” (noun), “to punish” (verb) + -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Ultimately, much of the material in the book, including Hughes’ cinematic escape from prison and multiple grueling hunger strikes, was cut so that the Price sisters’ journey of radicalization and regret would take center stage.

From Los Angeles Times

On Wednesday night — by no means an atypical one — Russia staged a grueling eight-hour aerial attack on Kyiv, with dozens of drones buzzing overhead and near-constant alerts making sleep nearly impossible.

From Los Angeles Times

But Farrow is made of milder material and was understandably nervous about the grueling commitment.

From Los Angeles Times

And cowboys, working the grueling cattle drives, came to embody values linked to the frontier: self-reliance, strength and independence.

From Salon

In the final months of the campaign, other Californians are volunteering to door knock in Arizona and Nevada in quick, grueling journeys.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• arduous
• backbreaking
• brutal
• demanding
• excruciating
• exhausting
• fierce
• laborious
• punishing
• strenuous
• tiring
• torturous
• trying