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.
Related card An inside look at the grueling world of professional cycling Television footage shows the cyclists racing into oncoming traffic, bunching up into one lane of the road to avoid the line of trucks and cars. Issy Ronald, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025 Last year, a New York Times investigation revealed that the dance group has exploited its young performers, typically the children of Falun Gong followers, by paying them little or nothing to work long hours and keep grueling schedules. Michael Rothfeld, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025 The livestream served as a follow-up to their original Fortnite stream in December 2024, which lasted a grueling 57 hours. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Feb. 2025 Brody grows most animated when talking about the grueling, truncated 34-day shoot, stabbing the air for emphasis. Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 5 Feb. 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

Dictionary Entries Near grueling

Cite this Entry

“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grueling. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.

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
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