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
a grueling schedule
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 offshoot involves the search for the franchise’s next pro dancer, as 12 up-and-coming competitors move into one house and face off in a grueling audition process for a coveted Season 35 slot. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 17 May 2026 For now, Benyamin will spend some time relaxing after a grueling five years of work. Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026 Harbaugh plans to run a grueling training camp to try to better prepare the Giants for their early season games, but reversing a decade-plus of bad organizational habits and starts might take time. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 May 2026 Williams, who wrote a book about the trial, spent six grueling weeks in the courtroom listening to testimony and viewing at times graphic evidence before finding Murdaugh guilty in March 2023 after just a few hours of deliberations. N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 15 May 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grueling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grueling. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

grueling

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

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