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

• challenging
• difficult

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 boat combines electric and diesel power to offer energy efficiency and backup power generation for extended endurance, guaranteeing reliable performance in even the most demanding maritime environments. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025

That’s not a huge priority for me, only because making movies is just so demanding. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025

According to police, Cooksey opened the door with blood on his hands and became angry and demanding. —Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025

Your social life could be more demanding than usual these days, Virgo. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of demand entry 2

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for demanding

• commanding
• disbanding
• expanding
• freestanding
• misbranding
• outstanding
• remanding
• upstanding
• withstanding
• banding
• branding
• handing

Kids Definition

demanding

adjective

de·​mand·​ing

di-ˈman-diŋ

: making many or difficult demands : exacting

a demanding job

demandingly adverb