grueling

adjective

gru·​el·​ing ˈgrü-ə-liŋ How to pronounce grueling (audio)
variants or gruelling
Synonyms of gruelingnext
: trying or taxing to the point of exhaustion : punishing
a grueling race
gruelingly
ˈgrü-ə-liŋ-lē How to pronounce grueling (audio)
adverb

Synonyms

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Examples of grueling in a Sentence

running a marathon is grueling cutting diamonds can be grueling work
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Prisoners from the general wards of Evin Prison have been transferred to prisons around Tehran and are being held in harsh, inhumane, and grueling conditions. — Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025 Instead, Gaza has long been a grueling fight against Hamas, which relies on guerrilla tactics to counter Israel’s military superiority. — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 26 June 2025 On Sunday night, the Thunder outlasted the Indiana Pacers in a grueling Game 7 to bring home their first-ever NBA championship since moving to Oklahoma—an extraordinary achievement for a franchise once dismissed as too young, too small-market, and too slow-moving for today’s win-now culture. — Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 How Does Exercise Affect the Gut? Anyone who’s been on a long, grueling run knows that intense exercise can wreak havoc on the gut in the short term. — Jamie Ducharme, Health, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for grueling

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grueling was in 1852

Rhymes for grueling

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Browse Nearby Words

gruel
grueling
gruelly
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Cite this Entry

“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grueling. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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Kids Definition

grueling

adjective
gru·​el·​ing
variants or gruelling
ˈgrü-ə-liŋ How to pronounce grueling (audio)
: requiring extreme effort : exhausting

More from Merriam-Webster on grueling

Nglish: Translation of grueling for Spanish Speakers

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