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 former includes two DirectX 12 gaming simulations from UL's 3DMark suite: Night Raid (more modest, suitable for systems with integrated graphics) and Time Spy (more demanding, suitable for gaming rigs with discrete GPUs). —PCMAG, 25 June 2024

Cases that involve international arbitration, litigation, and debt recovery are especially intricate and demanding. —Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 19 June 2024

The task became more demanding in 2023 when the Knights transitioned from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12. —Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2024

These last final weeks of this year’s legislative session have been incredibly demanding. —Tom Sullivan, The Denver Post, 21 May 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