English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
adjective

arduous

AH-dyoo-uhs
adjective
1
Requiring great effort or endurance; difficult and tiring.
"The climb to the summit was long and arduous."
"Recovering from surgery proved to be an arduous process."

How to Use Arduous

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishVery hard work that takes a lot of effort and stamina to get through.

Common pairings
arduous journey arduous task arduous climb

Word Forms

more arduous comparative, most arduous superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “arduous” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The climb to the summit was long and _____.

Etymology

From Latin arduus, "steep, high, difficult," related to an old word for "high."

Related Words

Rhymes for arduous

See all rhymes for arduous →

People Also Searched

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial