grueling

/ˈgrü-ə-liŋ/ (ame, mw)

grueling — adjective

  • gruelingpositive
  • more gruelingcomparative
  • most gruelingsuperlative

1. so hard, long, or demanding that it leaves a person completely worn out, requiri

1.形容詞C1
釋義

so hard, long, or demanding that it leaves a person completely worn out, requiring strong willpower to keep going.

例句

Adaeze finished the grueling marathon despite the heavy rain in Lagos.

collocation: grueling marathon / race

The young pianist kept up a grueling practice schedule before the Warsaw competition.

collocation: grueling schedule / routine

同義詞
  • exhausting

    everyday register; emphasises tiredness rather than the duration

  • punishing

    stresses how harsh the demands feel; common in sport and work contexts

  • arduous

    more formal; underlines the effort needed rather than the resulting fatigue

  • strenuous

    neutral, used for physical activity that needs strong effort

反義詞
  • easy

    general antonym for low-effort tasks

  • effortless

    stronger — implies no effort is needed at all

文法句型

grueling + noun (race, training, schedule, journey)

用法筆記

Subject is usually a long activity, process, or schedule (race, training, shift, journey, interview, campaign) — not a single brief action. Implies physical or mental exhaustion at the end, not merely difficulty.

常見錯誤

The math problem was grueling.
The math problem was difficult.
💡'grueling' needs sustained effort over time, not a brief task.