1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
faced with the toilsome task of cleaning out her deceased father's homestead
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
this is the most toilsome part of the construction, so we'll go slowly to make sure we're doing it right
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toilsome
Meanwhile, Republicans lacked the votes to pass anything so their amendments tended to be trollish and toilsome fliers meant to either own the libs or just annoy the legislators.
—
Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2022
But as these commemorations advance these important discussions, another more toilsome question continues to unfold in the background: What will happen to those who actually participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol?
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 8 Jan. 2022
Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.
—Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019
Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2022
But as these commemorations advance these important discussions, another more toilsome question continues to unfold in the background: What will happen to those who actually participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol?
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 8 Jan. 2022
Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.
—Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toilsome
Adjective
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But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
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Shaving requires removing the end cap of a bat, which can be difficult to do, and shaving down or thinning out the inner wall of the barrel.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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However, this challenging situation also presents an opportunity for businesses.—
Kendra Davenport,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
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The new bill, advocates said, is also expected to be particularly challenging for Native Americans who rely on tribal cards for identification ‒ which typically don't include place of birth, as the new law requires.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Hall, a former college football player, is quite the athlete and also gives fans a look into his rigorous workout regimen, which Khaled joined him for.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
23 May 2025
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The Bee has a rigorous policy relating to requests for anonymity.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Additionally, ensuring data accuracy and integrity within compliance features, especially for reporting and audit trails, can be technically demanding and prone to errors if not carefully managed.—
Suresh Kannan,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
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That, plus more demanding processors, higher burst rates, and video modes, means mirrorless cameras get less battery life than DSLRs.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Now, the regime is going to have to make tough decisions on how to deal with its realities and its people, which is its responsibility.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
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Listen to this article After a tough loss to start the Big East Tournament, the UConn baseball team bounced back on a short turnaround to defeat and eliminate St. John’s, 13-3, in a losers’ bracket game Thursday in Mason, Ohio.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Transsexuals are people who have gone through a long, arduous process of: counseling, hormone therapy, and operations.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 May 2025
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So no one has ever made a fully reusable orbital vehicle, and even the parts that have been reusable have been extremely arduous to reuse, such that the economics actually were worse than an expendable rocket in a lot of cases.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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But even with Tatum, who underwent surgery Tuesday on his ruptured Achilles, now beginning a laborious recovery process that could wipe out most or all of his 2025-26 season, his teammates remain confident.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2025
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With these laborious methods of locomotion, sea cucumbers were long thought to never exceed speeds of about a yard a day.—
Katarina Zimmer,
JSTOR Daily,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toilsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toilsome. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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