1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
climbing Mount Everest is an arduous, exhausting challenge
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2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
the arduous task of doing the research for my term paper
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Recent Examples of arduous
An Achilles injury has kept him out of action of late, and the recovery process, which the two-time Olympic champion is documenting on his YouTube channel, seems arduous and painstaking – even boring.
—
George Ramsay, CNN Money, 23 June 2025
Recruitment: Writing job descriptions can be an arduous task, but by creating a first draft with AI, HR leaders can focus on more strategic tasks, such as maximizing the company’s organizational structure to best support teams.
—Julie Hoagland, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
Like all babies, my youngest son learned this through arduous repetition.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
The arduous, emotional process of unwrapping that present would soon give way to a project of Seed’s own, a film called A Photographic Memory, which is rolling out theatrically throughout the summer following a run of festival showings; its New York City release begins on June 27.
—Eliza Berman, Time, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for arduous
George Ramsay, CNN Money, 23 June 2025
Recruitment: Writing job descriptions can be an arduous task, but by creating a first draft with AI, HR leaders can focus on more strategic tasks, such as maximizing the company’s organizational structure to best support teams.
—Julie Hoagland, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
Like all babies, my youngest son learned this through arduous repetition.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
The arduous, emotional process of unwrapping that present would soon give way to a project of Seed’s own, a film called A Photographic Memory, which is rolling out theatrically throughout the summer following a run of festival showings; its New York City release begins on June 27.
—Eliza Berman, Time, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for arduous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arduous
Adjective
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Ullmann is the daughter of the late Swedish director Ingmar Bergman and the Norwegian actor Liv Ullmann, and specifics of her childhood are not difficult to locate.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
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In a region where resources can be difficult to access and censorship persists, the initiative provided more than support.—
Essie Assibu,
Variety,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Besides the challenging business climate in Chicago, President Donald Trump’s tariffs are contributing to rising food costs, and his immigration crackdown threatens to disrupt the food-service workforce.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 July 2025
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Points available at the stage’s finish vary based on a coefficient of difficulty: the more challenging the stage, the fewer points available.—
Sophie Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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The tougher policy changes are adding to the minors’ trauma, advocates say.—
Nicol León,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
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Stellantis' loss, versus a 5.6 billion euro net profit a year earlier, underscores the tough challenges for new CEO Antonio Filosa, who was appointed in May after a disastrous performance in the company's crucial U.S. market in 2024 forced the ouster of former boss Carlos Tavares.—
Giulio Piovaccari,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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In the more demanding Steel Nomad benchmark, the Dell 16 Plus trailed both the Acer Swift 16 AI and LG Gram Pro.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
17 July 2025
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Montague also points out that only six Skyview suites exist across the entire 822-guest ship, creating the kind of scarcity that discerning travelers are increasingly demanding.—
Alexis Benveniste,
Robb Report,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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Ozzy Osbourne shared 3 children with first wife Thelma Riley The father of six children over two marriages, Osbourne has been vocal about how rigorous touring and alcohol use affected his family life.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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The 22-year-old flew to the United States and went through the DCC’s rigorous tryouts, eventually becoming one of six new rookies to join the 36-member squad, out of thousands who auditioned.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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The Cubs were always going to be a far more formidable opponent than the Nationals and Rockies, against whom the Red Sox collected the first six of their 10-game win streak before the All-Star break.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 July 2025
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This year promises to be quite a battle between the two formidable opponents, as Erwin Hymer brands have previewed gorgeous new launches like the Bürstner Signature and Dethleffs E.Home Eco.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arduous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arduous. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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