challenging

adjective

chal·​leng·​ing ˈcha-lən-jiŋ 

1

: arousing competitive interest, thought, or action

a challenging course of study

a challenging job

2

: invitingly provocative : fascinating

a challenging personality

challenging questions

challengingly

ˈcha-lən-jiŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• arduous
• Augean
• backbreaking
• demanding
• difficult
• effortful
• exacting
• formidable
• grueling
• gruelling
• hard
• heavy
• hellacious
• herculean
• killer
• laborious
• moiling
• murderous
• pick-and-shovel
• rigorous
• rough
• rugged
• severe
• stiff
• strenuous
• sweaty
• tall
• testing
• toilsome
• tough
• uphill

Examples of challenging in a Sentence

I find the job challenging and fun.

Teaching is challenging but rewarding work.

It's a challenging book that requires careful reading.

The slope was challenging for even the most experienced climbers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Building wealth can be a challenging task, especially in challenging economic times. —Anne-Lyse Ngatta, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

The rise of one of this season’s greatest scene-stealers makes for a challenging conundrum — how far does the apple fall from the tree? —Daniel D'addario, Variety, 3 June 2025

Now, consumer spending has been getting a little bit more challenging. —Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 3 June 2025

Many Russian military bloggers chided the military for its failure to build protective shields for the bombers despite previous attacks, but the large size of the planes makes that challenging. —Arkansas Online, 3 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

see challenge entry 1

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1