Difficult
Difficult adjective - Requiring considerable physical or mental effort.
Usage example: difficult questions on the exam that required analytical thinking
Strenuous is a synonym for difficult in hard topic. In some cases you can use "Strenuous" instead an adjective "Difficult", when it comes to topics like arduous, hard to do.
Nearby Word: difficulty
Strenuous
Strenuous adjective - Requiring considerable physical or mental effort.
Usage example: a strenuous workout on the obstacle course
Difficult is a synonym for strenuous in hard topic. You can use "Difficult" instead an adjective "Strenuous", if it concerns topics such as arduous.
Nearby Word: strenuously
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Both words in one sentence
- Even so, accident rate on Stukas was high and the training required for the crew was strenuous and difficult, while the plane itself, being optimized for dive bombing, was lacking in performance.
Source: Inertial Dampening -
D-Cup Distress: Fuji expresses frustration over her bustiness because it's difficult for her to do any physically strenuous activities, unlike Muromi.
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Noted by the film-makers that it would've been very difficult to try and film a fat 14-year-old actor gradually losing a lot of weight, which happens in the book due to all the strenuous hole-digging.
Source: Literature / Holes
Cite this Source
Strenuous and Difficult. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/difficult/strenuous
Difficult & Strenuous. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/difficult/strenuous>.
Strenuous or Difficult. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/difficult/strenuous.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "difficult" and "strenuous" have occurred on timeline