challenging

adjective

chal·​leng·​ing ˈcha-lən-jiŋ 

1

: arousing competitive interest, thought, or action

a challenging course of study

a challenging job

2

: invitingly provocative : fascinating

a challenging personality

challenging questions

challengingly

ˈcha-lən-jiŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• arduous
• Augean
• backbreaking
• demanding
• difficult
• effortful
• exacting
• formidable
• grueling
• gruelling
• hard
• heavy
• hellacious
• herculean
• killer
• laborious
• moiling
• murderous
• pick-and-shovel
• rigorous
• rough
• rugged
• severe
• stiff
• strenuous
• sweaty
• tall
• testing
• toilsome
• tough
• uphill

Examples of challenging in a Sentence

I find the job challenging and fun.

Teaching is challenging but rewarding work.

It's a challenging book that requires careful reading.

The slope was challenging for even the most experienced climbers.

Recent Examples on the Web

The company continues to focus on expanding its distribution business and broadening its product range, despite the challenging economic environment. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024

The digital detox journey can be challenging, but many people discover it to be rewarding in the end. —Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2024

Difficult to catch but not impossible Identifying ex-contractual terms is challenging; just look at the fraud by former Sacramento Kings Chief Revenue Officer, Jeffrey David. —Jesse Silvertown, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

The more challenging question to address, however, is how many USC fans will be there to see that come to fruition? —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see challenge entry 1

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1