4 September 2014

grueling

[groo-uh-ling, groo-ling]

adjective

1. exhausting; very tiring; arduously severe:
the grueling Boston marathon.
noun
2. any trying or exhausting procedure or experience.

Also, especially British, gruelling.
Origin
1850-1855; slang gruel punishment (noun), punish (v.) + -ing2, -ing1

Related forms

gruelingly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged

Examples for grueling

– The grueling schedule that many doctors go through to train as specialists is about to ease.
– They put themselves through grueling marathons of public scrutiny.
– Business travel is grueling enough without having to put up with someone you don’t know well for the entire evening.

Anagram

gurgle in
lug reign
glue grin

Today’s aphorism

So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to
tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote
themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put
shackles upon sleeping men.

– Voltaire.

On this day

4 September 1937 – birth of Dawn Fraser AO MBE, Australian swimming legend. Won Olympic gold medals in 1956, 1960 and 1964, as well as a number of silver medals.

4 September 2006 – death of Steve Irwin, ‘The Crocodile Hunter’, Australian wildlife expert and television personality. (Born 22 February 1962).