grueling

adjective

gru·​el·​ing ˈgrü-ə-liŋ 

variants or gruelling

: trying or taxing to the point of exhaustion : punishing

a grueling race

a grueling schedule

gruelingly

ˈgrü-ə-liŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of grueling

• difficult
• challenging
• tough
• rigorous
• demanding
• hard
• formidable

Examples of grueling in a Sentence

running a marathon is grueling

cutting diamonds can be grueling work

Recent Examples on the Web

Without him, Heiskanen and Harley had to log even heavier minutes in an already long and grueling game. —Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

The grueling reality of a playoff series without the high-scoring duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, so far, has left the Lakers needing every extra inch, players up and down the roster stepping up in their absence. —Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026

Per the logline revealed Wednesday, 12 up-and-coming dancers will move into one house and compete in a grueling audition process for the coveted Season 35 slot. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026

Marion Jones Jones’ rehab schedule was grueling — three hours of intense therapy every day. —Brad Quick, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for grueling

• refueling

Kids Definition

grueling

adjective

gru·​el·​ing

variants or gruelling

ˈgrü-ə-liŋ 

: requiring extreme effort : exhausting