Adjective

(en adjective)

Needing or using up much energy; testing powers of endurance.

The movement towards a peaceful settlement has been a long and arduous political struggle.

* {{quote-news, year=2012

, date=May 5 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Chelsea survived and can now turn their attentions to the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in Germany later this month as they face an increasingly arduous task to finish in the Premier League's top four.}}

(obsolete) burning; ardent

Where flames the arduous Spirit of Isidore. — Cary.

(rft-sense) Difficult or exhausting to traverse.

* 1974 , Sue Bowder, The American biking atlas & touring guide , page 77:

Beyond the river, an arduous slope rises 3286 feet in 13 miles.

* 1999 , Scott Ciencin, Mike Fredericks, Dinoverse :

Mike looked up from the arduous mountain trail. They'd been climbing for five hours and he was beginning to feel irritable.

* 2006 , Jack W. Plunkett, Plunkett's Entertainment & Media Industry Almanac 2006 :

Survivor reaches as many as 28 million viewers who watch contestants win a new Pontiac or guzzle Mountain Dew after scaling an arduous cliff.

Adjective

(er)

Strong and resilient; sturdy.

The tent, made of tough canvas, held up to many abuses.

(of food) Difficult to cut or chew.

To soften a tough cut of meat, the recipe suggested simmering it for hours.

Rugged or physically hardy.

Only a tough species will survive in the desert.

Stubborn.

He had a reputation as a tough negotiator.

(of weather etc) Harsh or severe.

Rowdy or rough.

A bunch of the tough boys from the wrong side of the tracks threatened him.

Difficult or demanding.

This is a tough crowd.

(material science) Undergoing plastic deformation before breaking.