6
effortful(adjective, great, tough, severe, difficult)
6
knotty(adjective, hard, tough, severe, rough)
5
ascending(adjective, adverb, rising, climbing)
5
demanding(adjective, hard, tough, severe, rough)
5
glitch(noun, difficulty, fault, problem, flaw)
5
labored(adjective, hard, great, tough, difficult)
5
rough(adjective, hard, great, tough, difficult)
5
severe(adjective, hard, tough, difficult, violent)
4
exhausting(adjective, hard, rough, difficult, heavy)
4
grueling(adjective, hard, tough, difficult, awkward)
4
operose(adjective, tough, severe, rough, difficult)
4
painful(hard, tough, severe, difficult, problematic)
4
rigorous(adjective, hard, tough, severe, rough)
4
rise
4
tricky(adjective, tough, difficult, complex, awkward)
4
upwards
4
wearying(adjective, tough, rough, difficult, heavy)
3
acclivity
3
ascension
3
ascent
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APASmart Define. (2015). uphill thesaurus. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/uphill/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "uphill thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/uphill/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 22, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, uphill thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/uphill/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "uphill thesaurus" 10 April 2015. Web. 22 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/uphill/thesaurus/synonyms>