straining (
http://definr.com/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]