What does strenuous mean?
Word: Strenuous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Strenuous means needing great effort or energy.
Synonyms: arduous, exhausting, demanding
Antonyms: easy, gentle
Word origin: From Latin strenuus, taken into English in the early 1600s.
How do you spell strenuous?
Syllables: stren - u - ous
Tricky part: In quick speech the u after the n slides away, which gives the common error strenous.
Watch out for: strenous, strenious, strenouos
Memory tip: Strenuous work needs you: that 'you' sound after the n is the letter students drop.
Strenuous in a sentence
Example 1: Carrying the tents up the hill was strenuous work.
Example 2: The coach has banned strenuous exercise the day before the final.
Example 3: Rowing against the river current is far more strenuous than it looks.
Fun Fact
In 1899 Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech called The Strenuous Life, which praised hard effort over an easy existence.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
str____uous
a) ean
b) en
c) in
d) ain
Show answer
b) en. The first part is a short sound, the en of pen.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its opposite:
1. strenuous 2. sturdy 3. stubborn a. flimsy b. yielding c. effortless
a) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. Hard work is the reverse of effortless, strong is the reverse of flimsy, and refusing to give way is the reverse of yielding.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
nousretus
a) moving in gentle curves like a river
b) taking plenty of sweat and stamina
c) loved and respected by many people
d) easily seen through, like clean glass
Show answer
b) taking plenty of sweat and stamina. Sorted out, the letters describe hard, tiring effort.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) mischievious
b) ambiguous
c) precarious
d) strenuous
Show answer
a) mischievious. Mischievous has no i after the v.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these activities is the most strenuous?
a) watering a small pot plant
b) reading under a ceiling fan
c) cycling up a steep hill
d) folding paper boats
Show answer
c) cycling up a steep hill
2. After a strenuous game on a hot day, most players would be ___.
a) bored and sleepy
b) out of breath and thirsty
c) cold and shivering
d) calm and well rested
Show answer
b) out of breath and thirsty
