grueling

adjective

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

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.
The grueling mini-final involves a series of checkpoints. Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024 The next council also will grapple with easing one of the Valley's most grueling commutes by finding transportation alternatives to Interstate 10. Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024 But Farrow is made of milder material and was understandably nervous about the grueling commitment. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024 The two candidates have offered diverging closing messages in the grueling campaign homestretch. Brett Samuels, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near grueling

Cite this Entry

“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grueling. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

grueling

adjective
gru·​el·​ing
variants or gruelling
: requiring extreme effort : exhausting

More from Merriam-Webster on grueling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!