straining
     adj : taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance; "his
           final, straining burst of speed"; "a strenuous task";
           "your willingness after these six arduous days to
           remain here"- F.D.Roosevelt [syn: {arduous}, {strenuous}]
     n 1: an intense or violent exertion [syn: {strain}]
     2: the act of distorting something so it seems to mean
        something it was not intended to mean [syn: {distortion},
        {overrefinement}, {torture}, {twisting}]
Source: WordNet® 2.0