Horse racing slang for a race that's an absolute punishing slog — the kind of gruelling event that tests horses and jockeys to their absolute limits.
Horse racing slang for a race that's an absolute punishing slog — the kind of gruelling event that tests horses and jockeys to their absolute limits. If a race is called a grueller, it's long, tough, demanding, and unforgiving. The word translates naturally beyond horse racing to describe any exhausting, demanding experience: a brutal workout, a merciless interview, or a long day that grinds you down. The 'gruel' root suggests thin, austere suffering.
The steeplechase was a genuine grueller — half the field didn't even finish the course.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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(horse racing, slang) A gruelling race.