ar·du·ous

[ahr-joo-uhs or, esp. British, ahr-dyoo-]
adjective
1.
requiring great exertion; laborious; difficult: an arduous undertaking.
2.
requiring or using much energy and vigor; strenuous: making an arduous effort.
3.
hard to climb; steep: an arduous path up the hill.
4.
hard to endure; full of hardships; severe: an arduous winter.

Origin:
1530–40; < Latin arduus erect, steep, laborious; see -ous

ar·du·ous·ly, adverb
ar·du·ous·ness, noun
su·per·ar·du·ous, adjective
su·per·ar·du·ous·ly, adverb
su·per·ar·du·ous·ness, noun
un·ar·du·ous, adjective
un·ar·du·ous·ly, adverb
un·ar·du·ous·ness, noun


1. hard, toilsome, onerous, wearisome, burdensome, exhausting.


1. easy.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; not fitting into a common or type or pattern
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World English Dictionary
arduous (ˈɑːdjʊəs) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
1.  requiring great physical or mental effort; difficult to accomplish; strenuous
2.  hard to endure; harsh: arduous conditions
3.  hard to overcome or surmount; steep or difficult: an arduous track
 
[C16: from Latin arduus steep, difficult]
 
'arduously
 
adv
 
'arduousness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

arduous
1530s, "high, steep, difficult to climb," from L. arduus "high, steep," from PIE base *eredh- "to grow, high" (see ortho-). Metaphoric extension to "difficult" first attested 1713.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
It's a seven-part series that takes you around the world to see the arduous
  journeys taken by some species.
Without someone to turn to, without a proper sounding board, research is far
  too arduous and far too lonely to sustain.
In the end, his arduous journey deeply illumines our own.
Their work is always arduous, often heroic and sometimes dangerous.
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