strenuous

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈstrɛnjuəs/ UK /ˈstrɛnjuəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
requiring or using great effort or energy

The doctor advised against strenuous exercise after surgery.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · requiring or using great... arduous laborious demanding grueling taxing exhausting vigorous

Opposites

easy effortlessundemandinggentle

Word family

Derived forms strenuouslystrenuousness

Etymology

From Latin strēnuus ('brisk, active, vigorous'), of uncertain ultimate origin but perhaps related to Ancient Greek strēnēs ('strong'); the English ending was reshaped to -ous.

strēnuus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# strenuous

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

## Meanings
1. requiring or using great effort or energy

## Examples
- The doctor advised against strenuous exercise after surgery.

## Synonyms
- arduous
- laborious
- demanding
- grueling
- taxing
- exhausting
- vigorous

## Antonyms
- easy
- effortless
- undemanding
- gentle

## Derived Forms
- strenuously
- strenuousness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: strēnuus

## Etymology
From Latin strēnuus ('brisk, active, vigorous'), of uncertain ultimate origin but perhaps related to Ancient Greek strēnēs ('strong'); the English ending was reshaped to -ous.

## AI Etymology
Strenuous is from Latin strēnuus ('brisk, active, vigorous'), of uncertain ultimate origin but perhaps related to Ancient Greek strēnēs ('strong'); the English ending was reshaped to -ous. Important recorded forms include strēnuus (Latin). Morphologically, the ending or combining element adapts the older base to the present English part of speech while keeping the historical sense visible. The wording preserves that uncertainty: the older history is best read as a cautious account rather than a fully settled chain. The modern sense continues the older lexical line without requiring a separate origin. In current use it covers requiring or using great effort or energy. The wider family includes derived forms such as strenuously and strenuousness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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