Definition

Adjective: - Requiring hard work and great effort; laborious: Describes a task, activity, or process that is physically or mentally demanding, strenuous, and exhausting.

Usage

The adjective "toilsome" is used to describe work or an activity that is extremely difficult and tiring. It emphasizes the sustained, wearying effort involved. It is a formal and somewhat literary word.

Examples

• The farmers began the toilsome process of harvesting the crops by hand.
• Climbing the mountain without proper gear was a toilsome endeavor.
• She found the research for her thesis to be a long and toilsome task.

Advanced Usage

• "toilsome journey": A metaphor for any long, difficult process or period of life.
  • His path to becoming a doctor was a toilsome journey of study and sacrifice.

Variants and Related Words

• Toil (verb/noun): To work extremely hard or for long hours; hard work.
  • Verb: They toiled in the fields all day.
  • Noun: Years of toil had left him weary.

Synonyms

• Arduous: Involving strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.
• Laborious: Requiring considerable time and effort.
• Grueling: Extremely tiring and demanding.
• Strenuous: Requiring or using great exertion.

Antonyms

• Easy: Achieved without great effort; presenting few difficulties.
• Effortless: Requiring no physical or mental exertion.

Related Phrases/Idioms

(Note: "Toilsome" itself is not commonly used in fixed idioms. The related noun "toil" is used instead.) - Toil and moil: An old-fashioned phrase meaning to work very hard. - He toiled and moiled for years to build his business.

Adjective

1. characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort
   • worked their arduous way up the mining valley
   • a grueling campaign
   • hard labor
   • heavy work
   • heavy going
   • spent many laborious hours on the project
   • set a punishing pace