A Word A Day : Arduous
Saturday, 9th February 2008 : Today's Word is ...
Arduous
( Adjective ) Pronunciation : orjoo-ess
Definition: 1. requiring hard work or continuous physical effort
2. very difficult to traverse, endure, or overcome
3. taxing to the utmost, testing powers of endurance
4. characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion
5. steep or demanding
Etymology: From Latin arduus, high, steep
Synonymsbackbreaking, ball-buster, burdensome, exhausting, fatiguing, formidable, gruelling, harsh, heavy, labored, laborious, murder, onerous, painful, punishing, rigorous, rough, severe, strenuous, taxing, tiring, toilsome, tough, troublesome, trying, uphill
Grueling means characterized by physical effort to the point of exhaustion.
Gruesome means shockingly repellent, inspiring horror.
Antonymseasy, facile, motivating, painless, simple
Contextual Examples:• Clearing the pasture was
arduous work.
• Only we undertook the
arduous work of preparing a Dictionary of the English Language.
• The task was an
arduous one and required the better part of a month, though he built but one small room.
• From the cursory view here taken, it must clearly appear to have been an
arduous part.
• She puts into her pocket more than a third of the profits, in defiance of my most
arduous exertions to prevent her.
Related Words:•
arduously : Adjective
•
arduousness : Noun
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