grueling

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈɡruːəlɪŋ/ UK /ˈɡruːəlɪŋ/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
extremely tiring and demanding

The grueling march lasted three days without rest.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · extremely tiring and demanding exhausting arduous punishing strenuous taxing demanding backbreaking laborious

Opposites

easy effortlessundemandingrelaxing

Word family

Derived forms gruelingly

Related forms gruel

Etymology

From gruel, in the now-obsolete sense 'to exhaust or punish', figuratively from the phrase 'to get one's gruel' meaning to receive punishment; ultimately from Old French gruel ('meal, porridge').

gruel Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# grueling

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈɡruːəlɪŋ
**IPA (UK):** ˈɡruːəlɪŋ

## Meanings
1. extremely tiring and demanding

## Examples
- The grueling march lasted three days without rest.

## Synonyms
- exhausting
- arduous
- punishing
- strenuous
- taxing
- demanding
- backbreaking
- laborious

## Antonyms
- easy
- effortless
- undemanding
- relaxing

## Derived Forms
- gruelingly

## Related Forms
- gruel

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: gruel

## Etymology
From gruel, in the now-obsolete sense 'to exhaust or punish', figuratively from the phrase 'to get one's gruel' meaning to receive punishment; ultimately from Old French gruel ('meal, porridge').

## AI Etymology
Grueling comes from gruel, in the now-obsolete sense 'to exhaust or punish', figuratively from the phrase 'to get one's gruel' meaning to receive punishment; ultimately from Old French gruel ('meal, porridge'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective, it carries the sense "extremely tiring and demanding", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Old French gruel. Derivative forms include gruelingly; related words include gruel.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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