demanding

1 of 2

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

demanding

2 of 2

present participle of demand entry 2

Synonyms of demanding

Adjective

• challenging
• difficult

Examples of demanding in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

That night, somewhere between a racist stranger, a free dessert, my girlfriend publicly shaming a man in a Mediterranean restaurant and our demanding cat, the City of Angels started to feel like home. — Mayur Chauhan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

And the longer or more demanding the workout, the more important such fuel becomes. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

The fuel must also be manufactured consistently, meet stringent quality requirements and demonstrate its performance under the demanding conditions inside a reactor. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026

The rookie offered power at the plate and athletic defense in the field, immediately giving fans another reason to believe the organization's top prospect could become a long-term answer at one of the game's most demanding positions. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of demand entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

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