mentally strenuous

USAGE SUMMARY

"mentally strenuous" is a correct phrase and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation or task that requires a lot of mental effort or concentration. For example: "The students found the math exam to be mentally strenuous."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

The moral of Smith's book is the right one: not that screens are bad and books are good, but that what books do depends on the totality of what they are — their turning pages, their sturdy self-­sufficiency, above all the way they invite a child to withdraw from this world into a world alongside ours in an activity at once mentally strenuous and physically still.

The New York Times - Books

In this studio, Kink puts their "slaves" through some of the most physically and mentally strenuous porn conceivable.

Vice

More recently, the Helsinki Health Study (n = 6,243) found that among women, mentally strenuous work and high job control were associated with a healthy diet [ 10].

BMC Public Health

Studies of work in care for the elderly have shown that nurses experience their work as meaningful but the disadvantages are that it is stressful, physically and mentally strenuous work with low wages.

BMC Nursing

Do something mentally strenuous.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

He'll be an exhausted sanitation worker who rose before dawn, has driven a massive vehicle on congested streets for many hours, and is at the end of a mentally and physically strenuous shift.

Huffington Post

Light work was used as a reference for both mentally and physically strenuous work, following previous procedures.

BMJ Open

This is one of the most mentally tough and physically strenuous training sequences in all of the United States military.

WikiHow

Aandal, Construction Worker Eeswari, a 25 year old mother of 5 children, was forced to carry her children to her workplace and feels extremely physically and mentally stressed due to the strenuous work at construction sites and unsympathetic contractors who wouldn't let her care for her children at the work site.

BMC Women's Health

Mental and physical workload was examined using two single items asking whether the respondents perceived their work as very light, light, strenuous or very strenuous mentally or physically, and dichotomised as heavy or light.

BMJ Open

There can be exemptions from fasting for pregnant women, soldiers, the mentally ill, children and people with a strenuous livelihood.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a task or activity, use "mentally strenuous" to emphasize the high degree of concentration and mental effort required. This is effective in both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "mentally strenuous" when simpler terms like "difficult" or "challenging" suffice. Overusing it in everyday conversation can sound overly formal or pretentious.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mentally strenuous" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to describe something requiring significant mental effort or exertion. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "mentally strenuous" is a grammatically sound way to describe tasks or activities that require significant mental effort. Ludwig AI confirms its usability, though its frequency is relatively rare. It is primarily used in news, scientific, and wiki contexts. When writing, remember that while "mentally strenuous" is appropriate for formal and technical descriptions, simpler terms might be better suited for everyday conversations. Consider alternatives such as "intellectually demanding" or "cognitively taxing" for variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

intellectually demanding

Replaces "mentally" with "intellectually" focusing on cognitive processes.

cognitively taxing

Uses "cognitively" to emphasize the mental processes involved, and "taxing" to highlight the burden.

mentally challenging

Replaces "strenuous" with "challenging", suggesting a difficult but stimulating task.

brain-intensive

A more informal term emphasizing the heavy use of brainpower.

requiring deep thought

Shifts the focus to the depth of thought required, rather than the effort.

mentally exhausting

Focuses on the draining effect of the mental effort.

intellectually rigorous

Emphasizes the strict standards and precision required.

demanding mental agility

Highlights the need for quick and flexible thinking.

mentally arduous

Uses "arduous" to convey the difficulty and laboriousness.

complex thinking

A more general term referring to the complexity of the thought processes involved.

FAQs

How can I use "mentally strenuous" in a sentence?

You can use "mentally strenuous" to describe tasks or activities that require a lot of mental effort. For example, "The exam was incredibly "mentally strenuous", demanding hours of concentrated focus".

What are some alternatives to "mentally strenuous"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "intellectually demanding", "cognitively taxing", or "mentally challenging".

Is "mentally strenuous" the same as "physically strenuous"?

No, "mentally strenuous" refers to activities that require significant mental effort, while "physically strenuous" describes activities that demand physical exertion. They are distinct but can sometimes occur together.

When is it appropriate to use "mentally strenuous" instead of "difficult"?

"Mentally strenuous" is more appropriate when you want to emphasize the specific aspect of mental effort and concentration, whereas "difficult" is a more general term for something that is hard to do.