Synonyms and related words :
Herculean, annoying, arduous, awkward, backbreaking, besetting, bothersome, burdensome, chastening, disconcerting, disturbing, effortful, embarrassing, forced, grueling, hard-earned, hard-fought, heavy, hefty, humbling, humiliating, humiliative, irksome, killing, labored, laborious, mortifying, onerous, operose, oppressive, painful, plaguey, punishing, strained, strenuous, toilsome, tough, troublesome, trying, uphill, vexatious, wearisome,