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

The dedicated graphics card is capable of 1080p gaming at medium settings just as long as the title isn’t too demanding and will help with any graphic design tasks. —Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024

Every iPhone 16 has 8 GB of RAM, yet that’s cutting it close for the most demanding titles and can lead to crashes. —Craig Grannell, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024

Here, the typologies of the suburban house, the country house and the beach house provide a demanding geographical diversity, each complete with its own environmental challenges. —Richard Olsen, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Rise in parenting expectations Social media isn’t the only reason parenting today is so demanding. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 26 Oct. 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