Make Your Point: ARDUOUS

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pronounce ARDUOUS:

AR dyoo us

Hear it.

connect this word to others:

Something arduous, like painting a long fence on a hot day, takes a lot of time and effort: it's hard, grueling, rigorous, and toilsome.

As we've scooped up that handful of adjectives for struggles (arduous, hard, grueling, rigorous, and toilsome), we know that each offers its own little nuance that distinguishes it from the others. They're synonymous, not identical.

The word arduous, for example, evokes the image of climbing a steep hill. I might pick arduous to describe my struggle to finish my master's thesis; that was a sweaty, uphill kind of struggle.

And if I seemed to slip and fall back down Thesis Hill, then climb it again, then slip again, over and over, then I'd describe the struggle as not just arduous but Sis____an. Can you recall that one?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

In Latin, arduus means both "steep" and "hard to reach." Those are the meanings we first used in English, also.

But over the centuries, we applied the word more figuratively. Today, arduous things (like arduous tasks, journeys, and processes) are difficult to do because you have to work hard at them for a long time.

So, if something feels as long, strenuous, and exhausting as climbing a mountain (and you're not a mountain-climber), call it arduous.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "an arduous climb;" "The journey was arduous."

Other forms:

Arduously, arduousness.

how to use it:

"Arduous" is a formal, serious, common word.

Pick it to describe jobs, trips, and procedures that seem like a long, hard, uphill climb, because they demand a great deal of time and effort, like you're continually reaching for things that are out of reach.

examples:

"The first Everesters were obliged to trek 400 arduous miles from Darjeeling across the Tibetan plateau simply to reach the foot of the mountain."
— Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air, 1997

"Growing up in Hawai'i – you're always in quarantine to a degree. It's not like you grew up in California and can drive to New York City. The literal process of leaving the island is so arduous and challenging and expensive."
— Naz Kawakami, quoted by Gary M. Kramer, Salon, 23 January 2022

has this page helped you understand "arduous"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "arduous" without saying "backbreaking" or "laborious."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Some job, trip, or process of some kind) is arduous; (something else) is (easy, quick, or simple)."

Example 1: "Packing up to move is arduous and stressful; unpacking after a move is easy and joyful."

Example 2: "Romancing the Stone had been a very muddy, arduous shoot, so Back to the Future was simple by comparison – most of it was shot on the lot at Universal, or in neighbourhoods in Pasadena."
— Ryan Gilbey, The Guardian, 25 August 2014

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is Make Your Point Before & After!

I’ll give you a clue, and you give me a verbal mashup including at least one word or phrase we've studied before.

For example, if I give you "It's someone who meets you at the library to join you in a state of deep, serious, often gloomy thoughtfulness," then you give me "brown study buddy." It's a mashup of "brown study" and "study buddy."

Try this one today: It's sweet; it's tangy; and it makes a great salad dressing, a great dip for chicken nuggets, and a great metaphor for the mountain-moving power of a teeny-tiny jot of faith.

To reveal the first two hints, highlight the hidden white text.

Hint 1: The number of words in this Before & After is... three.

Hint 2: The first word in this Before & After is... "honey."

Hint 3: Use this term.

To see the answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. The opposite of ARDUOUS is

A. EASY.
B. FREE.
C. OPEN.

2. To stay true to the metaphor inherent in "arduous," you can say that an arduous process involves _____.

A. points, dollars, and credits
B. slips, stumbles, and missteps
C. cuts, bruises, and broken bones

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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