1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
faced with the toilsome task of cleaning out her deceased father's homestead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
this is the most toilsome part of the construction, so we'll go slowly to make sure we're doing it right
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 toilsome
Meanwhile, Republicans lacked the votes to pass anything so their amendments tended to be trollish and toilsome fliers meant to either own the libs or just annoy the legislators.
—
Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2022
But as these commemorations advance these important discussions, another more toilsome question continues to unfold in the background: What will happen to those who actually participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol?
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 8 Jan. 2022
Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.
—Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019
Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2022
But as these commemorations advance these important discussions, another more toilsome question continues to unfold in the background: What will happen to those who actually participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol?
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 8 Jan. 2022
Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.
—Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toilsome
Adjective
-
An at least 200-year-old celebration of French and Mediterranean cuisine, macarons are renowned as the ‘impossible dessert,’ a result of the notoriously involved and difficult baking process.Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
-
The manual entry of damage to structures like bridges used to be very expensive and time-consuming, a complex process made even more difficult by the fact that data entry and analysis are performed by both the agency’s own staff and external companies.Stephanie Glenk, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The agreement comes amid a challenging period for traditional department stores, which face mounting pressure from discount chains like Walmart, fast-fashion players and e-commerce companies like Amazon.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
-
However, achieving consistent scoring across different runs can be challenging.Lukas Petersson, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products.Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024
-
Health experts recommend rigorous hygiene practices like washing your hands during this time to minimize the spread.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Some squirrels at California’s college campuses have become infamous among students for their demanding behavior, even winning student elections, but they’ve never been seen hunting smaller rodents on such a widespread scale.Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
-
Watch it here, with a warning about his language: Season 2 will delve deeper into the personal and professional lives of NHL stars, offering viewers a 360-degree view of their lives both on and off the ice and sacrifice required to excel in one of the world’s most demanding sports.Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Carro, known for his tough stance on crime and his experience with cases involving terrorism enhancements, will play a key role in shaping the trial's proceedings.Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
-
In December, the West Central Montana Avalanche Center made the tough decision to no longer send avalanche experts to Seeley Lake to test the snowpack.Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Under Argentina's strict capital controls, this arduous monthly pilgrimage was her lifeline to the global digital economy.Boaz Sobrado, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
-
That was a very arduous, ugly tax code with much higher rates, with a lot more loopholes, a lot more deductions.CBS News, CBS News, 15 Dec. 2024
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
Adjective
-
No one enjoys repetitive, laborious tasks like screening thousands of résumés.Raj Mukherjee, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
-
Automation tools in use today often fail to solve real-world problems at this scale, which means that humans must step in, making the process more laborious and time-consuming than chipmakers would like.Somdeb Majumdar, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near toilsome
Cite this Entry
“Toilsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toilsome. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share