Arduous Meaning and Definition
Arduous
Pronunciation
/ɑrdˈuːəs/
Part of Speech
Adjective
Definition
Difficult to do something; needing much effort or skill.
Examples
- The arduous hike to the summit was a challenge for the group.
- The project was an arduous task that required constant revisions.
Synonyms
- Difficult
- Challenging
- Tedious
Antonyms
- Easy
- Simple
- Effortless
Etymology
The word “arduous” comes from the Latin “arduous,” meaning “hard” or ” difficult.” It has been in use in the English language since the 15th century.
Usage Notes
Use “arduous” to describe tasks or activities that require a lot of effort, skill, or concentration. For example, “The arduous climb up the mountain was exhausting.”
Cultural References
The word “arduous” has been used in literature and film to describe challenging situations or tasks. For example, the film “The Matrix” features a character who describes the arduous process of learning to control the Matrix.
Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases
- A tall order
- A Herculean task
Related Words or Phrases
- Difficulty
- Challenge
- Complex
Collocations
- Arduous task
- Arduous journey
- Arduous process
Frequency of Use
According to the Corpus of Contemporary American English, the word “arduous” is used in approximately 0.1% of spoken and written English language texts.
Common Misspellings
- Adious
- Arduousis