strenuous (adj.)

"characterized by great effort," mid-15c. (implied in strenuously), from Latin strenuus "active, brisk, quick, nimble, prompt, vigorous, keen." It is probably cognate with Greek strēnes, strēnos "keen, strong," strenos "arrogance, eager desire," Old English stierne "hard, severe, keen" (see stern (adj.)).

Mocked by Ben Jonson as a pedantic neologism in "Poetaster" (1601). The sense of "requiring much energy" is recorded by 1670s. Related: Strenuousness; strenuosity.

also from mid-15c.

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stern (adj.)

Old English stirne, styrne "severe, harsh, grave; strict, cruel; inflexible, rigid" from Proto-Germanic *sternjaz (source also of Middle High German sterre, German starr "stiff," störrig "obstinate;" Gothic andstaurran "to be stiff;" Old Norse stara; Old English starian "to look or gaze upon"), considered to be from PIE root *ster- (1) "stiff."

As "rigorous in morals" by late 14c. Of looks, "grim, foreboding," late 14c. Also in Middle English, "bold, valiant, brave; spirited, untamed" and used also of desolate places or potent herbs and medicines. Related: Sternly; sternness.

Trends of strenuous

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arduous

1530s, "hard to accomplish, difficult to do, attended with much labor," from Latin arduus "high, steep," also figuratively, "difficult, hard to reach" (from PIE root *eredh- "high;" for which see ortho-). The literal sense of "high, steep, difficult to climb" is attested in Engli

tug

1670s) was originally figurative, "the decisive contest, the real struggle," from the noun in the sense "supreme effort, strenuous...

effort

late 15c., "laborious attempt, strenuous exertion," from French effort, from Old French esforz "force, impetuosity, strength...

Taser

A word that threatens to escape the cage of its trademark, despite the strenuous efforts of the owners, who are within their...

eager

late 13c., "strenuous, ardent, fierce, angry," from Old French aigre "sour, acid; harsh, bitter, rough; eager greedy; lively...

rack

Figurative sense of "subject to strenuous effort" (of the brain, memory, etc.) is by 1580s; that of "to torment, afflict...

mystery

early 14c., misterie, in a theological sense, "religious truth via divine revelation, hidden spiritual significance, mystical truth," from Anglo-French *misterie, Old French mistere "secret, mystery, hidden meaning" (Modern French mystère) and directly from Latin mysterium "secre

Dutch

late 14c., of language, "German, non-Scandinavian continental Germanic," also as a noun, "a German language;" also in Duche-lond "Germany." By mid-15c. distinguished into Higher and Lower, and used after c. 1600 in the narrower sense "Hollanders, residents of the Netherlands." Fr

sarcasm

1570s, sarcasmus, "a biting taunt or gibe, a satirical remark or expression," from Late Latin sarcasmus, from late Greek sarkasmos "a sneer, jest, taunt, mockery," from sarkazein "to speak bitterly, sneer," literally "to strip off the flesh" (like dogs), from sarx (genitive sarko

denomination

late 14c., denominacioun, "a naming, act of giving a name to," from Old French denominacion "nominating, naming," from Latin denominationem (nominative denominatio) "a calling by anything other than the proper name, metonymy," noun of action from past-participle stem of denominar

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updated on August 30, 2023

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