strenuous

adjective

ˈstren-yə-wəs How to pronounce strenuous (audio)
Definition of strenuousnext
1
as in vigorous
marked by or uttered with forcefulness parents who voiced strenuous objections to the new textbooks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort a strenuous workout on the obstacle course

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective strenuous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of strenuous are energetic, lusty, nervous, and vigorous. While all these words mean "having or showing great vitality and force," strenuous suggests a preference for coping with the arduous or the challenging.

the strenuous life on an oil rig

When is energetic a more appropriate choice than strenuous?

The words energetic and strenuous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, energetic suggests a capacity for intense activity.

an energetic campaigner

In what contexts can lusty take the place of strenuous?

Although the words lusty and strenuous have much in common, lusty implies exuberant energy and capacity for enjoyment.

a lusty appetite for life

When could nervous be used to replace strenuous?

While in some cases nearly identical to strenuous, nervous suggests especially the forcibleness and sustained effectiveness resulting from mental vigor.

full of nervous energy

When might vigorous be a better fit than strenuous?

The meanings of vigorous and strenuous largely overlap; however, vigorous further implies showing no signs of depletion or diminishing of freshness or robustness.

as vigorous as a youth half his age

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strenuous After strenuous physical activity, to replenish fluids and nutrients. — Veronica Cristino, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026 This transition aims to reduce physical strain on human workers by shifting high-risk and strenuous tasks directly to automation. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026 If anything, the fact that centuries-old rituals coexist with sweet Italian sausages and big, floppy pizza slices speaks to a lengthy, strenuous and beautiful process of cultural assimilation. — Clare Whitton, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026 The key is to work at a strenuous pace for four minutes, recover slowly, and repeat. — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for strenuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strenuous
  1. vigorous
  2. difficult
  3. aggressive
  4. challenging
  5. violent
  6. rigorous
  7. emphatic
  8. tough
Adjective
  • Texas law requires elementary schools to provide at least 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, which can be cut to 27 minutes per day if scheduling makes the full amount impractical.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Figures emerge from his signature black background, their silhouettes resolving and dissolving amid legato drips and vigorous brushwork.
    — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of vigorous
Adjective
  • Jarman, who came in as the defending champion on the event, put together a more difficult routine but was nicked by judges for his execution.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • This is the last remaining game on the schedule that should be very difficult.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • Bam Adebayo wasn’t aggressive enough on the offensive side of the ball, which has been a consistent story line of his nine-year NBA career.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • On a network like this, rule-breaking often isn’t aggressive at all.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • Such calculations are part of a wider effort to understand why molecular simulations remain challenging.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But the shift in college athletics has required an internal reconciling that is even more challenging than the external education.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of challenging
Adjective
  • Government critics and human rights campaigners have alleged that police tactics in the last month have been unnecessarily violent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But complicating the government's efforts to bring the French deficit under control are widespread protests that have turned increasingly violent since starting as a Parisian student movement last month.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of violent
Adjective
  • Like SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, many founders in tech have moonshot performance pay packages, in which rigorous stock price growth is tied to massive pay hurdles.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Every travel story is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of travel products.
    — Liz Knueven, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of rigorous
Adjective
  • The national government has responded with curfews for parts of cities including Paris, Nice, and Lille, as well as emphatic condemnations of the violence.
    — Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Qatar’s energy minister, meanwhile, has been emphatic in rejecting gas pipelines and relocating processing facilities to other countries, committing instead to LNG expansion in Ras Laffan.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphatic
Adjective
  • Winning means making much tougher decisions about what to put on the floor.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Flournoy made some tough grabs downfield, and Lamb punctuated the night with two touchdown grabs.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of tough

Browse Nearby Words

strengthens
strenuous
strenuously
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Cite this Entry

“Strenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strenuous. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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