Gruelling Synonym Explanation
The question asks for the word closest in meaning to the underlined word "gruelling" within the context of treks and terrain.
Gruelling means extremely tiring, demanding, and requiring great effort.
Analyzing Word Meanings
- Gruelling: Intensely difficult, exhausting, and requiring great effort.
- Rigorous: Extremely thorough, exhaustive, or severe; demanding strictness.
- Egregious: Outstandingly bad; shocking.
- Unctuous: Excessively flattering or insincere; oily.
- Ominous: Suggesting that something bad is going to happen; threatening.
Determining the Nearest Meaning
In the sentence, "gruelling" describes the difficulty and physical exertion involved in the treks and the terrain. Comparing the definitions:
- Rigorous closely matches the demanding and severe nature implied by "gruelling" for physical activities like trekking.
- Egregious refers to badness, not difficulty.
- Unctuous relates to insincerity, not physical challenge.
- Ominous relates to threat or foreboding, which is different from the direct physical hardship described.
Therefore, "rigorous" is the word nearest in meaning to "gruelling" in this context.