demanding

adjective

de·​mand·​ing di-ˈman-diŋ 

-ˈmän-,

dē-

: requiring much time, effort, or attention : exacting

a demanding job

demanding customers

demandingly

di-ˈman-diŋ-lē 

-ˈmän-

dē-

adverb

demandingness noun

Synonyms

• arduous
• burdensome
• challenging
• exacting
• grueling
• gruelling
• killing
• laborious
• onerous
• persnickety
• taxing
• toilsome

Examples of demanding in a Sentence

She had a demanding schedule with little free time.

Factory work can be physically demanding.

I have heard it is one of the most demanding courses at the university.

Their boss was really demanding, often expecting them to work long into the night.

Recent Examples on the Web

Watch it here, with a warning about his language: Season 2 will delve deeper into the personal and professional lives of NHL stars, offering viewers a 360-degree view of their lives both on and off the ice and sacrifice required to excel in one of the world’s most demanding sports. —Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024

Some squirrels at California’s college campuses have become infamous among students for their demanding behavior, even winning student elections, but they’ve never been seen hunting smaller rodents on such a widespread scale. —Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024

Still, like for many other industries, the transformation will not come without a glitch because consumers get ever more demanding. —Hilary Tetenbaum, The Arizona Republic, 18 Dec. 2024

When more demanding tasks demand multi-core performance, the PZ13 falls away compared to the more expensive chipsets. —Ewan Spence, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of demand entry 2

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

demanding

adjective

de·​mand·​ing

di-ˈman-diŋ

: making many or difficult demands : exacting

a demanding job

demandingly adverb