Strenuous

How to spell strenuous

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce strenuous

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does strenuous mean?

1. adjectiveRequiring or showing great effort, energy, or physical exertion.

Strenuous in a sentence

• The doctor advised him to avoid strenuous exercise after surgery.

• The hike up the ridge was far more strenuous than the brochure suggested.

Where does strenuous come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin adjective strenuus, which meant 'brisk, vigorous, or actively energetic', describing someone full of drive and physical force. English adopted it in the late sixteenth century, adding the familiar Latinate ending -ous (meaning 'full of') to produce 'strenuous', literally 'full of vigour'. The original sense leaned on bold, restless energy, and even today the word keeps that flavour of effort that demands real exertion. The spelling trap lives in the middle: the 'u' before 'ous' is easily dropped, and the unstressed vowels invite writers to slip in extra letters. Keeping the root 'strenu-' in mind, then simply attaching '-ous', is the surest way to spell it correctly.

How the word is built

• strenu- (from Latin strenuus: vigorous, active)
• -ous (adjective suffix meaning 'full of')