Definition: an intense or violent exertion
Main entry: twisting, torture, straining, distortion, overrefinement
Definition: the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
Main entry: arduous, straining, strenuous
Definition: taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance
Usage: his final, straining burst of speed; a strenuous task; your willingness after these six arduous days to remain here- F.D.Roosevelt